


The Return of Spring

by EveTen



Series: The Changing Seasons [3]
Category: Marvel Cinematic Universe, Spider-Man - All Media Types, Spider-Man: Homecoming (2017)
Genre: Angst, Fluff, Fluff and Angst, Kid Fic, bad communication skills, but they love each other - Freeform, teenagers being teenagers
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-10-29
Updated: 2019-02-06
Packaged: 2019-08-09 16:20:42
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 9
Words: 20,678
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16453253
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/EveTen/pseuds/EveTen
Summary: Peter's finally back with his family.  Plus one!  It's not often Peter's family actually expands, as depressing as that might sound, so he's pretty happy.  But everything isn't sunshine and rainbows.  Peter's got to figure out how to adjust to the teen dad life.  He's quickly finding out that it isn't at all what TV makes it out to be.This is the direct sequel to my other fic Pomegranate Seeds.  You can't really read this and understand what's going on without reading that fic too.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> I know, I know. I said I'd have this up soon after the first fic and it's been five months. I'm sorry! Life just got away from me. Feel free to berate me!
> 
> Anyway, I meant to actually finish this story before posting it but I've discovered that I write better if I give myself a deadline so here we are. The first few chapters of this are mostly finished, they just need another once over, which does give us something of a buffer.
> 
> Also, as a heads up, I've kind of gotten a bit more...sporadic in regards to chapter length. Some are shorter, some are longer. Do you guys have a preference? I'm curious.
> 
> It'll be the same posting schedule as before: Mondays by 11 PM EST.
> 
> I hope you enjoy!

Peter Benjamin Parker is well and truly...not fucked, actually.

 

Honestly, he’s pretty pleased.  He’s sitting in the med bay of the Avengers compound, Ben cuddled close to his chest, and the two of them are just...waiting.

 

For May and Tony, Peter thinks. The doctor that examined the boys, a really nice woman named Helen Cho, told him that they have to wait for the blood work to be done but as far as she could tell Peter and Ben were actually pretty healthy.

 

So that’s good, all things considered. At least Hydra kept them healthy? Peter’s not sure he can really count that as an upside but he’s going to anyway. There haven’t been a lot of upsides in Peter’s life the last few months.

 

Anyway, Dr. Cho told him that she just had to speak with May and Tony and then she would send them in.

 

He’s not totally sure how he feels about it, honestly. He kind of wants May and Tony _now_ , ya know? The area he’s in is white and with it just being him and Ben, Peter’s a little anxious. Maybe nervous? Something. Enclosed white spaces make him antsy now but can you really blame him?

 

He knows he’s not actually in danger now, his spidey-sense is calm for one thing, but it still upsets him for some reason.

 

Whatever, he thinks to himself, stop being stupid Peter.

 

Besides, Peter also doesn’t really want May or Tony to come in because— well, because of Ben. He got away with silence on the jet ride back, it was short and Tony was thankfully distracted trying to coordinate the clean up and the medical prep, but Peter knows he’s not going to be able to not talk about Ben and where he came from.

 

He really doesn’t want to disappoint May and Tony but Peter doesn’t think he can really avoid it at this point.  It wasn’t really his fault though was it?

 

Sure, yeah, Peter let himself get caught but it wasn’t like he went to a party and had unprotected sex with a girl, right?

 

So maybe they wouldn’t be too disappointed in him.

 

He looks down at Ben and says, “Besides, how could anyone not love your cute little face?”

 

Peter’s rubs thumb across Ben’s cheek and passes the time cooing nonsense at him. Ben’s a very attention hungry baby and being in a new place has definitely disturbed him. Thankfully Ben hasn’t—

 

And of course Peter spoke to soon. Peter can smell the mess before Ben really registers it and by the time he starts getting uncomfortable, Peter’s already managed to open the pack of diapers that one of the nurses had placed near their bed.  He grabs a towel from a pile of linens a little ways down the hall from them and then sets Ben on the bed, towel placed underneath his little bum.

 

Peter sticks the dirty diaper in the biohazard bin in their room. He’s sure the staff won’t mind.

 

“Do we feel better now?” He smiles wide and pitches his voice higher, “is it better now that that nasty diaper’s gone? Huh? Huh?”

 

He tickles Ben’s belly a little, making him giggle. The giggling is a pretty recent development. It started after th-

 

_palenoheartbeatnotbreathing_

 

Well. It started after.

 

Anyway, Peter wipes Ben down, front to back like the book said, and then plays with him for a minute while he dries.

 

Ben’s favorite thing is for Peter to shake his hair, ridiculously long now after not having it cut for 11 months, in his face lightly.

 

“Who’s my favorite boy? Huh,” shake-shake, “is it you? Is it Benny?”

 

Ben’s giggling and kicking his legs in helpless happiness.  Peter’s smiling wide, also helpless in the wake of his boy’s pure adorableness, and shakes his hair a couple more times before putting a new diaper on Ben.  The whole process is pretty practiced by now and it goes smoothly.  Ben squirms a little bit uncomfortably, new diapers always seem to annoy him at first, but is more than pleased when Peter picks him back up.

 

Peter brings him closer to his head so that their cheeks are pressed together, “Are you as sensitive as I am?  Do I need to start looking for really soft diapers?”

 

That…is not a good thing to start thinking about, actually.  Now Peter has some anxiety settling in his gut because of the thought of going to a baby store and getting diapers and other supplies and getting all of those _looks_.

 

Like the ‘taking care of his little brother, aw, how sweet!’

 

And the ‘did that kid steal that baby or something?

 

And of course, Peter can’t forget the ‘dammit what’s wrong with kids these days, babies having babies, you should be more responsible!’

 

Ugh.  Just thinking about it makes Peter want to vomit.

 

Of course, Ben picks up on the change in his mood and starts to make some not-happy noises.  Peter shuts his eyes and bounces Ben lightly up and down.

 

“Ah, it’s okay baby.  It’s not you.  I’m just a little worried, that’s all, but we’re gonna be just fine.”

 

Someone clears their throat.  It was not Peter.

 

Peter jolts and quickly turns around.  Dr. Cho, May, and Tony are just standing in the door way, watching the two of them.

 

“Oh, uh, he- hey everyone.  How, um, how are you guys and how long have you been standing there?  Sorry I didn’t notice—“

 

May very suddenly rushes over to Peter and pulls him into a tight hug.  Fuck, Peter hadn’t realized how much he missed May’s hugs while he was in the cell.  For the first time in a long time, Peter lets himself relax a little and sinks into his Aunt’s arms.

 

He chokes out, “I missed you, May, missed you so much.”

 

He can feel her nod and feels her tears trickle onto the side of his neck.

 

“I missed you too, baby,” she cries, “I was so worried.  I got the email you sent and, shit, my heart nearly stopped.  I’m so, so proud of you.  You led us to you, and I’m so happy you’re okay.”

 

He can’t do anything but nod his head and pull himself closer to her.  Ben, surprisingly, is not upset at being squished between them at all. They hold each other for a few more moments before May turns her head and says,

 

“Get over here, Tony, for god’s sake.”

 

Peter’s a little shocked by that and the accompanying embrace from Mr. Stark. The last time Peter had seen or heard May or Mr. Stark interact it had been with copious amounts of yelling and curses.  They seem a lot more...mellow with each other, Peter thinks. Like they reached a kind of understanding. Dare he say friendship?

 

They’re definitely at the hugging stage if nothing else.

 

He guesses searching for a missing kid bonds people.  He’s not gonna question it though. He hasn’t been hugged like this since Uncle Ben died and he’s missed the soft/strong split in hugs.

 

Surrounded by the only mother he’s ever known and the man that was quickly becoming a father to him, with his son in his arms, Peter feels like everything might actually work out okay.

 

* * *

 

“I know it’s hard,” Mr. Stark says after the blood work has come back and Dr. Cho has stepped out, “but we need to know what exactly happened.”

 

Peter can tell that his face has turned pale by Mr. Stark’s wince and the way May reaches for his hand.

 

“It’s just that are some...oddities in the blood work and we need to clear things up.  You can take your time, neither of us are rushing you, but we need to know so we can help. Okay?”

 

Peter thinks he nods but he’s not sure. All he can think about, suddenly, is that they might want to take Ben from him after he tells them what happened. What if Ben’s not actually his? What if he is? They’ll want to take him away regardless, right? If Mr. Stark and Aunt May don’t think that Peter is responsible enough to be Spider-Man without an insane amount of oversight, there’s no way they would let him keep Ben.

 

He knows that it wouldn’t be because they want to be cruel or anything. They just want the best for Peter and Ben.

 

Even if that means Peter isn’t the best for Ben.

 

Which, to him, seems a little unfair because he thinks he’s done a pretty decent job up to this poi—

 

“Pete?”

 

Peter shakes himself out of his own head, “Y-yeah, sure, I understand.”

 

He swallows, “So, it starts with that chase.  A bunch of Hydra agents came outta nowhere and started trying to bring me down, ya know, and I kept on getting away until— well, until I didn’t.”

 

“I don’t really remember much for a while after that.  I think I was pretty heavily sedated.  I just have vague impressions and stuff.  Uh, so, then I woke up.  They had changed my clothes and set me in a white room.”

 

Peter can’t help but mention the millions that Tony lost, “I’m sorry I lost the suit.  I didn’t mean to.”

 

Tony clears his voice, “You didn’t.  We recovered it.”

 

Peter breathes a sigh of relief.

 

“So, Pete, the room?”

 

Peter looks up from the floor, “You saw it, Mr. Stark.  For a second, I think.”

 

He nods at Peter in acknowledgment.

 

“So, anyway, I woke up there. They left a note that basically just said they had captured me and had plans for me and it would be best to just play along.”

 

He stops to collect his thoughts, “Of course, I didn’t really. I tried for months to find a way out, something that would give me an advantage. I tried to be patient, like you Mr. Stark, and come up with something to help me escape but I couldn’t.  I-I just couldn’t. I’m sorry.”

 

Mr. Stark opens his mouth to interrupt but Peter barrels on because he really doesn’t want to hear the I-wanted-you-to-be-better speech more than once in his life, “Then it was just, like, radio silence for months. They’d send me food and stuff but it seemed like that’s all they were going to do. I didn’t have any kind of interaction with anyone for months.”

 

“I might have snapped a little. They sedated me and brought me to this dark room and a guy, an older man I think, started talking to me about how they needed two things from me and that they’d already gotten the first. He said that the second would become clear basically.”

 

Peter stops for breath for a second. He’s getting to the part that he really doesn’t want to talk about but he knows he has to.

 

“The next time I woke up, there was a crib with a baby in it. This baby,” he raised Ben up in his arms as a gesture, “and left me instructions to care for him. I didn’t really see another choice and I didn’t want him to get hurt so I just...took care of him.”

 

Peter lowers his gaze back to the floor, “Then they took me back to the dark room and explained that they wanted to grow a new kind of soldier from me. They decided to take my, um, _stuff_ , ya know, and then make babies they would use as soldiers eventually. They wanted to keep me around and in-line so they gave me Ben but said they would take him eventually to make him a weapon, basically.”

 

Peter feels his eyes prickling and blood rushing to his face.  He wasn’t ashamed of Ben, he doesn’t think, but he was ashamed of how weak he’d been and just how easy he’d given up really.  He was Spider-Man and he just let these sick jerks just do what they wanted with him.

 

He doesn’t want to look up and see the disappointment in May and Tony. He just can’t handle that.

 

“Uh, um, so, anyway.  I’m not sure they actually did that, I couldn’t test his DNA against mine, but it just seemed like something that they wouldn’t really need to lie about. It’s not like I was just gonna let a little baby die or suffer or anything!”

 

Peter shook himself, “Anyway, after that it was just more waiting.  Eventually I got the idea to, like, use him to get the supply door to stay open long enough for me to get a look inside the wall. I managed to get through the wall and then sent that email and, um, the rest is history.”

 

Peter stops talking after that and sits in the silence, idly playing with Ben while he waits for the inevitable disappointment and shame. He can hear May crying just a little, she never lets herself really express any emotions other than happiness around Peter if she can help it so that's a bit of a shock, and he can hear Tony’s heart beating a lot faster than it was.

 

It’s Tony that breaks the silence, “Well, kid, they didn’t lie. That was the oddity in the blood work. It matches yours.  That baby is biologically yours.”

 

Peter feels relief, he thinks is the best way to describe it, when he hears that. He’s not really surprised, Ben’s felt like his for a while now, but it’s still a relief.

 

He forces himself to look up, to look May and Tony in the eyes, because he needs to do it for Ben. He can’t just sit on a bed and wallow now.

 

He’s a bit surprised at what he finds in their faces.  They’re not angry or disgusted or disappointed. They’re just..sympathetic.  A little grieved, maybe, but not ashamed.  Resigned is probably the best way to describe it.

 

That’s good. It gives Peter a little more hope.

 

“I kind of figured,” Peter says, “it just— I could feel it, ya know? He even looks like me, I think.  I mean, I’m not sure, he’s only a couple months old so he’s not really defined, and I don’t really know what I looked like at this age—“

 

May snorts a little and says, “That’s actually one of the first things I thought of when I saw him.  He looks just like you when Richard and Mary brought you home.”

 

It’s quiet again, for a few minutes,  May looking from Ben to Peter and back again. Tony and Peter are as still as can be, neither really sure how to act in reference to each other, and Ben is starting to doze a little.

 

“Have you named him?”

 

Peter’s broken from his silent contemplation and anxious thoughts by May’s question.

 

“Huh?”

 

“The baby. Have you named him?”

 

“Oh,” Peter realizes, “I haven’t actually told you guys.”

 

“I remember you mumbling to him,” Tony volunteers, “on the way out.  I think you might have said his name but I honestly can’t remember it.”

 

Peter, feeling just the smallest bit lighter, adjusts himself and Ben so that the two adults can see Ben’s face a bit more clearly.

 

“Aunt May, Mr. Stark, I’d like to introduce you to my son: Benjamin Anthony Parker.”

 

Aunt May smiles a kind of tired smile. The kind she gives Peter when he’s being too _Peter_.

 

Tony, on the other hand, chokes on his own spit.

 


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey guys! So, I just wanna mention that the tags are kind of important to note for this chapter. I hope you guys enjoy!

So, apparently, Peter’s been missing for not quite a year.  But he’s only short by a few weeks.  They, they being May and Tony, searched for the first couple of months by themselves and with the help of the local police.  Eventually, the police gave up and said that if they hadn’t found Peter by then, he was most likely dead.

 

Tony then drafted some other vigilantes to help the Avengers in their search for Peter.  Tony called them the Defenders, somewhat degradingly, and told Peter that he should thank them when he had the opportunity. Daredevil, Iron Fist, Luke Cage, and Jessica Jones were some pretty powerful people that Peter had only heard of before he was taken. They helped Tony and May out a lot and Ms. Jones even found a Hydra outpost in Queens that almost led them to Peter’s prison. The information, unfortunately, had only been stored on a hard drive that was destroyed in the fight.

 

Shortly after that, nearly 8 months after Peter was taken, Tony had reached out to every enhanced individual he could find, including the rogue Avengers. He recruited the remnants of S.H.I.E.L.D., who better to fight Hydra right, and Peter would get to meet Quake soon because of that. Quake!

 

Even after Tony had managed to get everyone together, they still struggled to find Peter’s prison. This particular head of Hydra, apparently, liked to keep _everything_ old school. Everything that had been on the internet or on a cloud in the base had absolutely nothing to do with Peter and made no mention of Hydra so none of the searches they conducted in that area made any headway.  Hydra had also inserted their people into various police departments throughout New York and they helped to erase any trace of Peter’s abduction.

 

He’s said it before and he’ll say it again. Peter _hates_ smart bad guys.  And these guys were smart.

 

Tony had even had Scarlet Witch and Vision dive into the minds of some of the prisoners they managed to capture and none of them knew enough to really give them any leads.

 

“It makes sense,” Tony says during his retelling, “Hydra knew about Wanda’s capabilities so of course they’d made sure that everyone knew only their specific role.”

 

They did know, however, that Hydra had most likely stayed on the continent. There was no way that they could have put Peter on a plane and flew outside the North American continent and hide it from Tony.  Looking into all flights from the continent was one of the first things Tony had done.

 

With that in mind, Tony had created a kind of search schedule. They knew that Hydra couldn’t have taken Peter too far from New York, given his enhanced metabolism and its ability to eat sedatives like candy, and couldn’t have crossed the border either so they were certain they needed to look in the northeast. They rotated searches so that someone was looking for Peter at almost all point in time.

 

They hadn’t had any luck until Peter managed to send the email. It took them almost no time at all to track him down after that.

 

“You know the rest from there,” Tony says, “but I-I’m so sorry, so so sorry that it took me so long.  I tried, Pete, I did but we just— we didn’t have any leads, any clues, and there was so much area we had to cover.”

 

Peter shakes his head and bounces Ben in his arms a little, “Please, Mr. Stark, don’t apologize. I know you tried and tried and it’s not your fault that these guys were just...smart about their plan. It’s not your fault, okay?”

 

“But I—“

 

“Is it my fault that they outsmarted and outmaneuvered me?” Peter asks.

 

“No! No of course not!”

 

“Then it’s not your fault either!”

 

Tony looks more than a little contrite about that but nods all the same. May seems to have found their argument more than a little amusing.

 

“Alright boys, enough,” she says, “maybe we can get Peter and B-Ben settled in their room?”

 

Peter’s all about that, actually.  He’s so freaking sick of white floors and white walls and is more than happy to move to somewhere, anywhere, else. He slide off the hospital bed and starts to make his way to the exit, Tony and May hovering close beside him.

 

“How long is it back to Queens?” Peter asks, “I can’t remember.”

 

Tony and May pause for a moment, “About two hours with traffic,” Tony answers, “but you’ll be staying here for a little bit.  You and May.  Maybe a week or a little more, enough time for you to adjust.  For everyone to adjust.”

 

Peter’s quiet for a moment as they walk into the hall, “We have rooms here?

 

“Yeah.  Since I offered you that spot on the Avengers.  Didn’t have the heart to change it.  May’s room is next to yours— here we are.”

 

Peter’s not sure what exactly he was expecting but this isn’t it.  The walls are, thankfully, a relaxing bluish green color, like a dark teal, and they’re positively covered with posters.  Star Wars, Harry Potter, Doctor Who...there’s just so much.  There’s even a couple of Elder Scrolls and Fallout posters and Peter’s absolutely sure he’s never mentioned his slight obsession with those games to Mr. Stark!

 

There’s an Xbox and a PlayStation, along with what looks like an amazingly tricked out computer, Peter can’t wait to get a look at its specs, and a _massive_ flat screen TV.  Mr. Stark has also piled boxes and boxes of Lego sets in one corner of the room. Peter can see two, two!, Millenium Falcons and a Death Star just from where he’s standing!

 

The sheer amount of thought, time, and money that Tony’s put into his room is overwhelming. Peter honestly thinks he might cry.

 

The carpet is a cream color and the softest carpet Peter’s ever felt. And he hasn’t even taken his slippers off!

 

But...Peter can’t help but notice there’s no crib.  There’s nothing baby oriented at all. And, yeah, Peter’s grateful and so excited for all of this stuff but still. It worries him.

 

“Wow, just, _wow_! Mr. Stark this is—it’s so much, too much, you didn’t have to—“

 

Tony interrupts him, “No, but I wanted to. I really did. I hope you like it.”

 

Pete swings around to face him, “Like it? I love it! It’s amazing and so awesome and just the best!”

 

But. _But_. Peter has to ask, has to know.

 

He clears his throat, “But, um, I’m just wondering, uh, if you have anything for Ben?  I mean, I can go shopping, that’s not a problem, I just don’t want you to have wasted your time or anything! I just, uh, need to know ‘cause he needs, like, diapers and wipes and a crib. Some clothes too. He’s never had toys either and—“

 

May and Tony look more than a little shocked and the slightest bit overwhelmed by Peter’s sudden onslaught of anxious words.

 

“Whoa, slow your roll kid,” Tony says, “why don’t we sit and talk for just another minute?”

 

Oh fuck, Peter thinks, here it comes.

 

They sit, Peter on the bed with Ben in his arms and Tony and May on the desk and lounge chair, with a nervous tension lingering in the air.

 

May breaks the silence, “Peter, honey, we need to clear some things up. It’s not that we think you wouldn’t be a good parent or that Ben is, I don’t know, _wrong_ because of how he came into the world but we’re not sure that he should stay with us. It’s a difficult adjustment, having a child, and you’ve already got so much on your plate between school and Spider-Man and every other part of your life that we’re worried it might be too much.”

 

Tony decides to jump in then, “Kids are a lot of responsibility, Peter. I mean, look at me and you. I’m only your mentor and I’ve been pretty terrible at it so far. Can you imagine if I was actually your father? How absolutely terrible I would mess you up?”

 

That hurts Peter. That hurts a lot. _If I was actually your father_. Like that would be bad thing.

 

Hell, maybe it would be. Peter kills all his fathers anyway.

 

Peter mentally shakes himself. Right now is not about him.

 

May’s taken back over, “No one blames you, Peter, for any of this. No one would blame you for not accepting this either. You’re a kid yourself and he was forced on you. It’s okay that you can’t handle that responsibility; that you shouldn’t have to. We’ve already been in contact with a couple of agencies, trying to get a good look at all of our options. We can get through this and make sure he gets to a good home, okay?”

 

“We just want what’s best for both of you, baby. This is an extraordinary situation and no one’s judging you.”

 

Peter has head down, looking past Ben and at his feet. He feels like his chest is closing up and he can’t breathe. He wants to shout, wants to scream, and make them understand that Peter really doesn’t want to give up Ben. He _loves_ Ben like he’s never loved anyone or anything before.

 

“We have someone coming up from the Department of Social Services to talk to us and give us a little guidance, okay? Why don’t you rest a little more? Do you want me to take him?” May asks.

 

Peter shakes his head.

 

May hums, a little dissatisfied, “Alright, well, Tony and I will let you rest. I love you, baby.”

 

Peter nods. He hears them get up and close the door behind them.

 

That’s when the panic really sinks in. They’re going to take Ben from him. They are. Peter can’t, he just, he can’t lose Ben. He won’t. Peter doesn’t know why they don’t _ask_ him what he wants!

 

It feels like the reverse of Hydra.

 

It feels like _Peter_ doesn’t get a say in whether or not he gets to have a son.

 

He wants to tell them so, so bad that he doesn’t want Ben to be taken away.  The words were stuck in his throat and he couldn’t force them out. He knows that once May or Tony get an idea in their heads it’s impossible to get out and they’re never going to let something they think is hurting Peter stick around.  They think Ben is hurting Peter and he won’t be able to convince them.

 

They don’t know. They don’t see. They can’t see how Ben makes Peter’s life _better_.

 

Or maybe they don’t want to, a small voice in Peter’s head whispers. They don’t want to know or see your son because he’s _wrong_. Because you’re _wrong_.

 

But, no, they said that wasn’t it. It’s not!

 

But what if it is?

 

Fuck, fuck, fuck. Peter can’t _think_.

 

He can’t let them take Ben away. He can’t.

 

Fuck.

 

Peter has to choose, doesn’t he?

 

May and Tony or Ben.

 

May and Tony.

 

Ben.

 

May and Tony.

 

Ben.

 

Fuck, this hurts so bad. It’s like fire is burning him on the inside, like he’s drowning, like he’s underneath that building again—

 

He just got back. He has to leave again.

 

They won’t let him keep Ben if he stays so he can’t stay.

 

Peter doesn’t know where he can go.

 

He has to go.  He has to leave. For Ben.

 

Anything for Ben.

 

* * *

 

The windows are the floor to ceiling kind. Peter spends a good ten minutes trying to figure out how to open them and isn’t sure if they open at all.

 

“Can I help you with something, Mr. Parker?” An accented voice from the ceiling asks.

 

Peter starts, “Uh, I’m sorry, who are you? Why can I hear you?”

 

“My apologies. I’m F.R.I.D.A.Y. and I’m Mr. Stark’s personal AI. I help run this compound, his suits, and most other aspects of his life. Is there something I can assist you with?”

 

Peter suddenly misses Karen so much the intensity of it makes him nearly fall over. Maybe Ceiling Lady will be able to get his window open? But can she see him or something?

 

“Can you see me?”

 

“No, Mr. Parker, nor can I hear. Boss doesn’t allow for any data collection inside in use bedrooms or bathrooms beyond basic vital signs and security breaches. The boss told me to introduce myself in case you required something.”

 

Well that makes him feel a little better, “Oh, okay. Is there any way you can open a window?”

 

“Certainly, Mr. Parker.”

 

The window in the center of the wall of windows opens, sliding upwards.

 

“Thank you F.R.I.D.A.Y.  Are there any protocols about me like Karen and the suit had?”

 

“How do you mean?”

 

“Like, if I left the building, would you have to tell anyone?”

 

She’s quiet for a few moments before answering, “No. Not if you weren’t endangered by it. I would, however, have to inform Mr. Stark if asked directly. Although, I wouldn’t recommend leaving in the state you’re in. You’re still in recovery and you have an infant to care for.”

 

Peter hums, “Thank you.”

 

She doesn’t respond and Peter gets to work. He changes quickly, clothes that Tony must have had stocked for him being found in the walk-in closet, and starts to throw more clothes in his backpack that May must’ve brought with her.

 

He darts into the bathroom, en suit blessedly, and starts to gather some toiletries. Peter finds a small bag of diapers and wipes in one of the cabinets below the sink.  He’s not exactly sure why they would supply diapers when they were just going to take Ben away but who knows.  Don’t look gift horses in the mouth and all that.

 

Now all he needs to worry about is getting money and finding formula.

 

They might have formula in the kitchen. He knows they weren’t really planning for Ben but they some how got diapers and wipes for him so they’ll probably have it.

 

Peter listens at the door, Ben asleep in his arms now, and waits to hear if anyone is in his path to the kitchen. May and Tony are in the med bay talking with Dr. Cho and a Dr. Simmons and Colonel Rhodes is heading away from the kitchen. Peter can’t hear anyone else on his end of the compound.

 

He should be clear.

 

He carefully opens the door and makes his way as quickly as he can to the kitchen. It’s thankfully on the same floor. Tony seems to have given May and Peter rooms in his personal wing which makes Peter feel even worse about what he’s doing. But he _has_ to do this. Maybe they’ll understand once they’ve had to time to think and they see the lengths he’ll go to to keep Ben safe and happy?

 

Peter roots around the cupboards, cabinets, and drawers until he he strikes gold: several containers of formula and a couple of bottles. Those go in the backpack immediately. He also grabs some food for himself.

 

Peter makes his way back to his room, ducking into May’s room to grab some cash. He hates to do it, it’s stealing and wrong, but desperate times.

 

He steps back into his room and thinks for a moment, trying to brainstorm about anything else he might need.

 

Clothes, food, money...webshooters!

 

They’re probably in the lab, he thinks. That’ll take some doing but Peter thinks he can manage it.

 

And of course that’s when Ben decides he wants to wake back up and scream. Because why not.

 

“Oh, buddy, come on! We gotta be quiet about this, yeah? I know you wanna be in bed but we have to go. They’ll take you away if we don’t. So let me get my webshooters and maybe rig a sling together for you and we can go.”

 

The words don’t really do anything but the soft bouncing motion Peter adds to them do manage to stop the screaming. They make their way to the lab, carefully and unseen. When he gets to the door, however, it refuses to open.

 

“Hey, um, F.R.I.D.A.Y., why won’t the door open?”

 

“You’re not allowed access right now Mr. Parker.”

 

“What? But Mr. Stark’s always let me in the lab!”

 

“Yes, but the lab isn’t a safe place for a small child.”

 

Okay, that’s a fair point but—

 

“I’m not gonna do anything to endanger Ben. I just want to get my webshooters back and to make a sling for him. Nothing dangerous at all. Please?”

 

She’s silent for a moment before she replies, “Anything that might endanger you or the boy will be reported immediately. I suppose if you do only those two things I can let you in.”

 

“God, yes, please I promise!”

 

The door opens and Peter rushes inside. He finds his webshooters quickly, having been in the same spot for the near year he was gone.

 

Unfortunately, there’s nothing he can use to make a sling or a carrier.

 

As he starts to leave the room, a couple of large metal rings catch his eyes. An idea starts to form in his head, one he remembers seeing somewhere on the internet. He grabs them on his way out.

 

He makes it back to his room in record time. He rips off the sheet of the bed, light and soft, and begins to loop it in and out the two rings. He carefully wraps Ben up in his makeshift sling so that they’re chest to chest. The sheets go under Peter’s armpit and then up over his shoulder where the rings he’s let the rings sit.

 

It’s pretty effective if Peter does say so himself.

 

With his supplies packed, baby secure, and escape route plotted, Peter slips out the window and sticks to the side of the building. He makes his way to the ground and finds the fence line. He dashed towards it, careful to stay in the shadows as much as possible, and vaults onto a tree branch.

 

Once over the fence, Peter and Ben disappear into the night.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Don't kill me? It's not as bad as it might seem?
> 
> Also, don't get too mad at Peter. This literally takes place a day after he gets rescued from captivity and he's still kind of in a fight-or-flight mode. All he's had for the last year is Ben and he's not taking the idea of not having him well.
> 
> Thank you so much! See you next week!


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello everyone! I hope you like this chapter. I struggled with it a bit, mainly in the timing and the pacing, but I also...really didn't want to make this part of the story any longer than I had to. There's a lot more that I want to do so this is shorter than it good of been.
> 
> Also, I feel it's only right to honor one of the creators, Stan Lee, of these characters and their stories. Stan Lee was a wonderful man and the world is lesser for his passing. I hope you all don't mind me interjecting that.

Some might find it surprising to learn that the Avengers facility is actually surrounded by several small towns. Not immediately of course, there’s a good fifteen mile buffer zone between it and the nearest civilization, but it’s not like it’s far removed from the world. Hell, you can still see Manhattan in the distance!

 

So, it’s not very long till Peter stumbles onto a little strip of civilization. There’s a little Walgreens and a McDonald’s so it’s good enough for Peter. They’re both open too so Peter’s luck must be changing.

 

After running in a forest at night, which was only really possible for Peter because of his seriously badass spider-sense, for several miles, Peter was both hungry and tired. He could rest up at the McDonald’s and change Ben there. The poor kid needs it. He’s unhappy about the late night escape and is really letting Peter know it. So the first thing he does when he gets to the McDonald’s is rush straight for the bathroom.

 

Ben is still crying and only cries harder when Peter gets the changing station set up and starts in on him.

 

“I know, babe, I know. It’s rough, wet, and uncomfortable down there.  Daddy’s gonna get it off and it’ll all be better!”

 

Using a changing station is an experience that Peter finds a little funny. He’s so used to having to use a bed or a desk that an actually changing table, that has straps and plenty of room to work, is so odd yet so convenient.

 

“This is nice, huh? Plenty of room for you to wiggle and it lets me get this done quick! We’re almost done, I promise.”

 

He washes his hands and slips Ben back into his clothes. They’re both much happier now that Ben doesn’t feel the need to bawl his eyes out. Peter exits the bathroom and finds a corner booth, hidden from the majority of the restaurant and the employees, to plan his next move.

 

If he can get back to the city he’s pretty sure he can lose anyone tailing him. Tony can track him a lot easier out here than he could in the city. Once he gets there he can find a place, maybe a shelter or something, and just...work everything else out.

 

Honestly, Peter has no fucking clue what he’s doing.

 

“A roof over our heads,” he mutters to himself and Ben, “that’s the biggest priority.  Food and other essentials next.  Maybe a cloth diaper to keep expenses down?  No, no, we need to worry about keeping safe, warm, and dry first.  Everything else after.”

 

“Gotta be somewhere with no cameras too.  Mr. Stark can track us and we don’t want th—“

 

“Uh, excuse me?  Are you okay kid?”

 

One of the employees, most likely on their way to the bathroom, is looking at him in obvious confusion.

 

“Y-yup!  Totally great, everything’s great.  Peachy!”

 

God, why is Peter like this.

 

They hesitantly nod, “Well, if you need anything just let us know.  Or if you want us to call anyone, okay?”

 

Peter shakes his head, “No, but thank you.”

 

They shrug and leave him alone.

 

Maybe it’s best to leave.

 

* * *

 

He manages to find a bus station that will take Peter to the city. It stops in Harlem but Peter can find his way back to Queens—

 

Wait, maybe staying _away_ from Queens is the best choice. He’ll have to think about it.

 

In any case, Peter needs to pay for his ticket and find his seat. He gets an aisle seat, thankfully. He’d much rather be able to get up easily to calm Ben down if he has to.

 

By the time they’re almost to the city Peter has the beginnings of a plan in his head.

 

The very first thing he has to do is find some kind of shelter. Peter’s thinking an actual teen shelter might work temporarily but for long term use an empty and unlikely to be filled apartment might be best. He can sneak in and out of places like that fairly easily. So that’s step one. Step two is slightly more specific.

 

They need food. As much of it as he can get and as cheaply as he can get. Ben’s formula is going to be the expensive portion of his meager budget but it’s something he can’t exactly get around. He definitely needs to focus on the foods that will last longer, both in terms of expiration and in keeping Peter fueled. Maybe things like canned fruits and veggies? Maybe some lean meats too.

 

“We’ll be heading into Harlem in a few minutes and should arrive at the station shortly.”  The driver’s voice interrupted Peter’s thoughts.

 

Suddenly Peter is immeasurably nervous.

 

This is the first time that Peter’s _really_ on his own.  No Aunt May.  No Tony.  Hell, no Hydra.

 

It’s just Peter and Ben out here.  Just Peter.

 

How is he actually going to work?  He can’t leave Ben with anyone.  The money he has isn’t going to last long so he’s going to have to work at some point and he doesn’t see a way that he could do that and keep Ben with him.  Maybe something remote?  Peter isn’t the greatest at web development and design, funnily enough, but he could make it work. Maybe.

 

But he doesn’t have a laptop so that’s out.

 

Maybe freelance photography?  Peter’s always been pretty handy with a camera, he used to be in his school’s photography club in middle school, and thinks that might be good option.

 

He could probably get his hands on a camera a little more easily than a good laptop, wouldn’t necessarily need reliable internet access, and could make a decent amount of money.  The real difficulty would be in developing the film and finding someone to buy his work.

 

Pictures of Spider-Man would sell, right?

 

God, Peter has no idea what he’s doing and it’s terrifying.

 

When the bus pulls into the station and stops Peter has a brief moment of regret and doubt that tells him to go back, to say he’s sorry, and to just let whatever happens happen.

 

A single glance at Ben as he begins to stand, peacefully sleeping against Peter’s chest, purges any doubt from him.  There’s no fucking way he could ever let this kid go.

 

Peter ambles behind a few other people, making his way out of the bus.  The station they stopped in isn’t too busy, just on the other side of the river from South Bronx, so Peter isn’t getting too many weird looks.

 

Though, admittedly, New Yorkers are used to some pretty weird shit.  A boy and a baby shouldn’t even rank.

 

Peter meanders his way out of the station and onto the street.  He stands there for a moment, in the morning sun, with Ben in his arms and feeling dazed.

 

This was as far as his plan had gotten.  Get to the city and disappear.

 

Should he pick a borough? Not Queens, they’d expect that, but did he really want to be homeless with a baby in Manhattan?

 

But what other option did he have really?  Brooklyn, the Bronx, and Staten Island would all be more exposed.  Too exposed.

 

Maybe if he stayed near the rivers?  That’d give Peter plenty of space to run if he had to…

 

The park!  Central Park!  Peter could definitely find some kind of shelter there.  Hell, he could build a web-nest thing in Belvedere Castle!

 

Yeah, sure, there’s a pretty big risk of discovery but still! Peter could manage it!

 

With his mind made up, Peter set out for the park. He makes sure to keep his head down, pretending to be distracted with Ben, in order to avoid as many cameras as possible. He briefly considers crawling or web slinging his way through the city but he doesn’t have his suit and he’s pretty sure web slinging with a baby is irresponsible parenting.

 

Peter’s keeping a pretty steady pace when he notices a couple of police officers standing near their parked car that are looking directly at him and speaking into the radios on their shoulders.

 

That startles Peter and makes him _move_.

 

People tend to forget that Peter’s really, really fast now. Like, faster than literally any other person on the planet.

 

Peter’s a block and a half over before they even open their car doors.

 

He can see the park now and it only takes him a few minutes at the new pace he’s set to reach the castle. It’s busy, which Peter expected, with tourists and school groups alike.

 

It’s fine. He doesn’t need to be in the castle during the day anyway. Peter’s thinking that he could set up a larger web in a lightly used section that he could obscure during the day and sleep in at night.

 

He spends a few minutes blending in with the crowds and scouting out the best position possible. He finds a dark corner in the upper levels, in a closed off area, that’s more than suitable. He marks it in his head and then heads out into the city again.

 

* * *

 

Peter’s tired.  Hungry.  Fuc— _freaking_ exhausted and near the end of his rope.  Ben, understandably yet still annoyingly, is even more tired and hungry and upset.

 

It’s been two fuc—freaking weeks and Peter still can’t find _anyone_ that would give him a job.  Turns out that no one wants to hire a homeless teen dad. Go fucki—freaking figure.

 

God, censoring himself is a little harder when Peter’s been baking in the sun, walking around the whole northern half of Manhattan for days with a screaming infant.

 

He’s pretty sure he’s checked every restaurant, grocery store, convenience store, and every other kind of store in Harlem and the upper east and west sides.

 

He’s starting to look in Hell’s Kitchen he’s so desperate.

 

At least no one’s discovered that a super powered teen and his son are living in Belvedere Castle yet.

 

Peter shakes his head as he heads into a small bodega.  He has a routine down by now.  First step, make sure Ben is quiet.

 

Peter looks down at Ben cradled into his chest.  Check.

 

Shoulders back, head held high.  Check.

 

Clerk at the counter.  Check.

 

Breathe in and out.  Check.

 

Go.

 

“Hi, I was wondering if you might have a job available?  I can clean and I can do repair work.”

 

The clerk looks up from the sheet he was filling out, meets Peter’s eyes, looks down at Ben, and snorts.

 

“Go home, kid.” He says as he rolls his eyes.

 

Breathe, Pete, breathe.

 

“Sir, please, I—“

 

The man’s amusement vanishes and he spits out, “I said go!”

 

Fuck. _Fuck._ Peter knows when he’s lost good will and he doesn’t think this guy ever had any so he makes a hasty retreat.

 

Fuck.  Fuck.

 

Peter collapses on a feet down the street, ducking into an alley.  He takes shuddering breaths in and out, trying to calm his racing heart and mounting anxiety.  Peter’s money ran out at the beginning of this week and he’s not eaten since about then.  The last bit of his funds went to Ben’s formula which ran out when he fed Ben this morning.

 

Fuck, how the hell is he supposed to—

 

At the other end of the alley, he notices two men standing close together.  The larger man hands the smaller man a huge wad of cash and grabs at his—

 

Grabs at his ass.

 

Peter can hear what’s being said at the edge of his hearing.

 

“I’ve got a place,” the smaller man says, “should be clear for the next hour.”

 

“Hour?”

 

“That’s what you paid for.  We could make it longer if you’ve got some more cash.”

 

They walk away and Peter can’t hear anymore.

 

Peter isn’t—he isn’t that desperate is he?

 

He is.  He really, really is.  That was a shit ton of money.

 

Fuck, he should just go back to May and Tony.

 

But, he can’t, he can’t let Ben go, he just _can’t_.

 

It can’t be that bad can it?  Peter thinks sex is supposed to feel good so it can’t be _that_ bad to sell it, right?

 

Peter thinks he’s just as good looking as the man that left, so he could get some customers, he’s sure.  And the whole Spider-Man thing has given him a killer body and better flexibility than an Olympic gymnast and that’s something people like, right?

 

God, but selling his virginity—

 

Except he’s not really a virgin is he? The baby on his chest attests to that.

 

Fuck.  Peter’s really thinking about this.

 

He could find _someone_ or _somewhere_ to leave Ben while he, uh, took care of business.  He wouldn’t have to be without him for hours on end and—

 

“Hey, kid, what’s your name?”

 

Peter’s startled out of his thoughts by the man’s voice.  Peter looks up and sees a man with dark hair,  a stick and red tinted sunglasses—

 

Oh, he’s blind, okay.

 

“Kid?”

 

“O-oh, uh, it’s, I’m, uh, Peter.  Peter.”

 

The man’s head tilts to the side, “I heard you talking to that clerk.  You’re looking for work.  I might have a job for you, if you’d like.”

 

Oh fuck.  Oh shit.

 

This is it.

 

A “job”.  The man must think that because Peter’s in the alley that he’s like the other man.

 

Fuck.

 

Okay.

 

This is what he has to do to keep Ben healthy and safe and with him.

 

He breathes in once, twice, “Uh, yeah, sure.”

 

The man nods, “Good.  Follow me please.  I have a place.  You can call me Matt, by the way.”

 

“N-nice to meet you Matt.”

 

“You as well.”

 

Is this the right etiquette?  Should Peter have a place to go to have—to do the deed?  To host?  That would be safe, Peter thinks.

 

But maybe the first time it’s okay?

 

Shit, this is so outside Peter’s limited experience.

 

He follows the man down a few blocks, trepidation lingering in his every breath, in every footstep.  It takes them about ten minutes to reach a door labelled “Nelson and Murdock” and go inside.  They climb some stairs and enter a—

 

A lawyer’s office?

 

Matt leads him into a room off to the side and says, “This is my office.”

 

Peter blinks, “Um, okay.  I guess we can, um, do it here if that’s what you want? Let me just find a place to set my son down and—“

 

“Wait,” Matt interrupts, “do what?”

 

Peter’s extremely confused right now, “Uh the ‘job’,” Peter uses finger quotes like a moron, “I mean, I don’t think this is how it’s supposed to really go, someone could walk in whenever and there’s not really a comfortable place to do anything, but if it’s what gets you off—“

 

“No! Oh, god, no, that’s not—“

 

Matt seems to collect himself, “I meant that my printer is broken and I’d like you to fix it.  You said that you can do repair work, right?”

 

Oh, fuck, please let the earth take him _now_.  Peter’s so embarrassed, oh god, why is he like this?

 

“O-oh, yeah, of course!  Let me just,” Peter untangles Ben and lays him on the ground near the printer, “yeah, I can definitely do this.”

 

Matt seems to be more uncomfortable than Peter is, somehow, and says, “Great.  I, uh, need to call a client so if you’re okay—“

 

“Yeah! Yeah, good, I’m good.”

 

Matt nods and runs away a lot faster than Peter expects from a blind man.

 

Peter forces his embarrassment and anxiety down and sets about diagnosing the printer’s issue.  Thankfully, it’s not a _major_ issue but it is an issue that’ll take Peter a little bit to work.  He can hear some music playing that Matt put on but there doesn’t seem to be anyone else in the office right now.

 

Not unexpected.  It _is_ pretty late in the working day.  Maybe Matt caught him on his way home.

 

Peter doesn’t really care, he’s just grateful for the promise of _money_.

 

Peter’s been working for maybe twenty minutes when he hears something that used to fill him with wonder and excitement but now only spawns a deep pit in his gut.

 

Repulsers.  _Iron Man’s_ repulsers.

 

And then there’s glass shattering as he rockets through the firm’s central windows and then Ben’s crying and—

 

“Peter!”

 

Tony.  Oh shit, Tony.

 

“Stark!” He hears Matt shout, “what the hell?”

 

“I’ll pay for new windows, where is he?”

 

Shit, shit. Can he get to the—

 

Tony’s blocking the door before Peter can finish getting Ben together.

 

He looks ragged, like he hasn’t slept. He probably hasn’t and that makes Peter feel worse than he already is but—

 

“ _Peter_.”

 

Peter gulps, “H-hey, Mr. Stark.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, yeah, that's it. I know, Peter's adventure on his own was shorter than you expected with a lot less screen time, as it were. I tried writing through the two weeks he managed to evade Tony and literally every other hero and law enforcement agency in and around New York but, well, it never really worked out how I wanted it to, unfortunately.
> 
> Mostly, it was miserable and Peter really only managed it through sheer luck. There's a reason Pete was considering sex work, y'all. I might make some side stories later detailing his time on his own, I've started to like that idea in all honesty, but we'll see. I have a lot of other things I want to do with this story and dedicating a chapter for every day or two that Peter was missing seemed...excessive.
> 
> Anyway, I hope you all enjoyed. Let me know what you did and didn't like. I hope to hear from you all next week!


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter is kind of a roller coaster. It starts out kinda tense and ends realllllly fluffy so prepare for some whiplash, my friends.
> 
> Thank you for all of the love!

Tony’s mouth is opening and closing like he can’t decide what to say.

 

He eventually settles on, “I have _so_ many questions but they’re gonna wait ‘cause May has the same questions. Happy’ll be here in a couple of minutes. We’ve had him on standby. He has some words for you too.”

 

“I—“

 

“Nope,” Tony shakes his head, “we’re not gonna talk till we get home so I don’t explode.”

 

He takes a deep breath and walks towards Peter and Ben.

 

“Are you hurt?” He asks, “either of you?”

 

Peter shakes his head, “N-no, just, ya know, tired. Hungry.”

 

Tony nods, “Hey, Murdock, you got any food here?”

 

“Yes. I’ll grab something for him to eat.”

 

Peter has to build up his nerve for a second but asks, “Can Happy pick up some formula? Ben needs to eat too.”

 

“Way ahead of you, kid. He’s already got baby supplies and a car seat hooked up.”

 

“O-oh. Thank you.”

 

Tony nods.

 

They sit in an awkward silence, only interrupted when Matt brings some chips and soda for Peter and by Ben’s dissatisfied murmurings. Peter feels like he needs to explain, to tell Tony that he’s sorry but he _had_ to. He couldn’t let Ben go. It isn’t that he doesn’t want to be with them, he does _so_ badly, but—

 

He has to prioritize Ben. That’s what parents _do_.

 

That’s what his parents, all five of them, had always and have always done for him. He can’t help but do the same for _his_ son.

 

He wants to explain all of that to Tony but the words catch in his throat and the anxiety makes his tongue swell.

 

So they sit, waiting for Happy. Peter wants to ask Matt how he knows Tony but Peter’s also one to hold a grudge. He says nothing.

 

It only takes a couple more minutes for Happy to get there. They file down the steps awkwardly and Matt wishes them goodnight and, presumably, heads home.

 

Peter opens the rear passenger side and is faced with a challenge he’s never before undertaken.

 

A baby car seat.

 

Thankfully, there are instructions on the side of the seat itself so it doesn’t take too long to get Ben situated. It’s a new experience for him, too, so he’s wide eyed and slightly confused. Peter thinks it’s adorable and hilarious.

 

Tony grunts at him and waves him into the car. Peter’s still a little afraid of what’s going to happen but he’s not going to pretend it’s not nice to be in a car again. To not have to walk everywhere.

 

Happy has a screen up so Peter can’t see him. Peter doesn’t think that’s a good sign. Happy puts the blinker on, Peter can hear the _click click_ , and pulls out into traffic. Tony is looking at his phone, very pointedly ignoring Peter, so Peter busies himself with Ben.

 

Ben’s been a little trooper about all of this. ‘This’ being the actual outside world. Ben was born into the cell Peter had been trapped in and going from such a controlled environment to the chaos of the world must have been pretty jarring. Still, his boy seems to be adjusting pretty well.

 

Honestly, it’s _Peter_ that’s been having a hard time adjusting to being in the world. Well, readjusting.

 

Everything’s just...it’s so _much_ now. Peter doesn’t think Ben’s senses are _that_ much more sensitive than a normal kid’s right now so he doesn’t seem too bothered on that end.

 

But Peter’s struggling. He hates to admit how used to the quiet of the cell he got and now, in the loud cacophony of New York, Peter’s been fighting back tears since he got to the city.

 

Although, that might be because of the situation too.

 

Peter thinks it’s probably a combination of the two.

 

Peter shakes his head.  It’s not about him right now.

 

Considering that this is Ben’s first time in a car, excluding the bus because he didn’t have a car seat then, he seems to be handling it like a champ.  He seems to be a bit annoyed by the restrictiveness of the car seat but, overall, seems to be pretty relaxed.  Peter just hopes that Ben doesn’t get sick.  Peter’s pretty sure Happy would kill him for that.

 

Peter, that is, not Ben.

 

That would require Happy acknowledging Ben’s existence. Which he hasn’t, excluding acquiring the baby car seat.

 

Ugh. Even with Ben to occupy him Peter thinks this car ride is going to be so long.

 

Happy won’t talk, Tony won’t talk, and Peter doesn’t have a phone or tablet or _anything_ to occupy his mind so he sits in the relative silence, with Ben making the occasional noise.

 

For two hours.

 

And poor Ben couldn’t eat because Peter didn’t have anything to make his formula with. He almost, _almost_ , asked Tony and Happy to stop but Ben starts to fall asleep pretty quickly and he really hates to be a burden.  He doesn’t even see where the formula could be either. There’s no bag or anything. Maybe the formula’s ate the compound?

 

At the end of the ride, Peter’s a twitching, anxious, panicky mess. He sees May waiting by the entrance to facility looking like a terrifying cross of stressed out and furious.

 

Holy shit, Peter wants to turn tail and run—

 

“Alright, kid, move.”

 

Fuck. Shit fuck.

 

Alright, just, Ben, get Ben. Ben first.  Then May.

 

Peter worms his way out, making sure to not make eye contact with anyone, and starts to unhook Ben. Ben’s a bit groggy, he napped some an hour in, but he’s awake enough. Peter can also smell that he needs a change. Maybe he can use that to slip away.

 

He picks Ben and whispers some nonsense to him. Peter keeps his eyes down and Tony guides him over to the entrance and May.

 

They reach her and May’s hand comes up to grab Peter by the chin. She tilts his head up to her eyes.

 

They’re softer now. “Are you alright?” She asks.

 

Peter nods. “Y-yeah. Just, ya know, tired. Gotta change him.”

 

May and Tony exchange a look and Tony nods. They let him go.

 

“You remember how to get to your room? There’s diapers and wipes in the bathroom. We’ll come see you in a few minutes.”

 

Peter nods at May in acknowledgment and beats a hasty retreat.

 

He hears Tony start talking as he walks away.

 

“We have to talk about how I foun—“

 

Peter shakes his head and walks faster. His room is how he left it, excluding the windows. He’s pretty sure they weren’t going to let F.R.I.D.A.Y open them for him for a long time. He makes his way into the excessively large, in his opinion, bathroom.

 

He freezes when he opens the door. They’ve gotten him a changing table. It’s a soothing gray color with two shelves below the changing area stocked with everything Peter needs.

 

Peter takes a moment to consider the _implications_ of that before he shakes it off and gets to work changing Ben.

 

“Alright sleepy boy! We can get that nasty old diaper off you now!” He raises his voice to distract Ben.

 

It must work because Ben coos happily and tries to help Peter get him out of the diaper by wiggling. It doesn’t really help, it actually makes Peter’s job a little more difficult, but the thought is nice.

 

“You’re such a good boy, aren’t you? So sweet and well behaved for daddy, huh?”

 

He pauses what he’s doing and tickles Ben’s belly.

 

“It’s nice to be indoors. We’re nice and cozy in here.”

 

He finishes up and snuggles Ben close to his chest. He leaves the bathroom and goes to look out the windows.

 

He whispers in Ben’s ear. “Daddy’s scared, baby. I’m scared I’m gonna lose you.”

 

He bounces Ben a bit in his arms and is rewarded with a happy gurgle.

 

“I’m not gonna leave you though. Daddy’s not gonna let anyone take you without a fight.”

 

Anyone just seems to include the two people he never, ever wants to fight with.

 

He hears them coming, his senses are still kind of heightened now, and does his best to mentally prepare himself.

 

This mostly consists of a mental stream of thoughts approximating to “fuckshitfuckshitshitdammit”

 

The door opens behind him and Peter is steadfastly looking out the windows when Tony clears his throat.

 

“Why don’t we sit, Pete?”

 

Peter turns and nods. He seats himself in the middle of the bed, after kicking his shoes off, with Ben sitting between Peter’s legs. Tony and May sit on opposite edges at the end of the bed and look—

 

Well, they look stressed and concerned.  They don’t look mad, exactly, which Peter counts as a win.

 

May starts them off. “Can you tell us why you ran? From your point of view.”

 

Peter counts to five, breathes once then once more, before he responds.

 

“Y-you were going to take Ben away.  You s-said you contacted a social worker and t-that they coming to take Ben from me. I didn’t, I couldn’t, let that happen, I just _couldn’t_.  I- he needs to stay with me, ya know, he needs his dad.”

 

Neither Tony nor May look like that was what they expected or something they were happy about.

 

“A-and you, _both_ of you, you didn’t _ask_ me what I wanted.  What _I_ thought was best for me, for him. You just thought that you knew best and that what you wanted was what I wanted and it wasn’t! It wasn’t but you didn’t ask and I just—“

 

Peter looks down at Ben, playing with one of Peter’s fingers.

 

“I got scared.  I felt like,” he shrugs a bit, “like I didn’t get in getting him and I didn’t get a choice in keeping.  S-so I wanted to make a choice, _my_ choice, and that’s what I did, I guess.”

 

Peter sighs and tickles Ben a bit.  He giggles.

 

“I just wanted to keep him with me; to keep him _safe_.”

 

No, no, Peter don’t cry, don’t cry, not in front of Tony, shit.

 

“I-I’m so _sorry_ that I disappointed you, both of you, but I had to! I j-just, I c-can’t,” he sobbed, “I can’t l-lose anyone else!”

 

So much for not crying, fuck, why was Peter like this?

 

He hears a sigh and feels the bed shift as both May and Tony move forward and lean into him.

 

Tony speaks. “I’m sorry, kid.  It’s okay, we’re not disappointed.  We’re, well, we’re concerned. Worried. But that’s all.”

 

Peter could feel May nod in agreement.

 

“And we’re sorry we didn’t ask what you wanted and that you felt like you couldn’t speak up. That’s our fault.”

 

“We do want to make it clear, though,” May continued, “that we don’t think that running away in the middle of the night, scaring us half to death, and nearly starving yourself and yo- a baby for two weeks was a good choice.”

 

“Yeah,” Tony interrupts, “not your best choice.  I’m pretty sure the I would have preferred another ferry incident.”

 

That makes both of them snort and May slaps Tony around Peter’s back.

 

“So, we’re all on the same page? We talk this through.”

 

Peter and Tony nod.

 

“Do we want to do that now or maybe tomorrow?” Tony asks.

 

May interjects. “Tomorrow, I think.  The babies, yes, Peter, you’re still my baby, look like they’re about to drop.”

 

Peter really, _really_ , wants to dispute the baby remark but he’s honestly so tired and in desperate need of a shower so he just nods.

 

“Why don’t you give him to me,” May offers, “just while you shower. You reek, baby.”

 

Peter smiles just a bit and hesitantly hands a sleepy Ben over to May. She holds him very gently and very carefully for Peter’s peace of mind. He thinks that’s why at least.

 

“We’ll need to give this little guy a bath too! But that can wait till tomorrow I think.”

 

“Y-yeah, he needs one pretty bad.”

 

May looks away from Ben and towards Peter. “You go get in the shower and Tony and I will look after Ben and get a crib set up.  We can worry about tomorrow tomorrow, okay?”

 

Peter nods and hops off the bed.

 

As he’s gathering up some clothes to change into he hears Tony call for Happy to bring the crib up to Peter’s room. When Peter finally gets into the shower he’s so tired that he almost falls over.  He cleans himself up, with the brand of shampoo and body wash he likes because _of course_ Tony knows what that is, and relaxes under the perfect spray.  Peter’s not at all surprised that this shower has the best water pressure and temperature he’s ever experienced.

 

He can’t stay in forever, of course, but a guy can dream.

 

When he steps out of the bathroom and actually starts to come back to reality he finds one of the most hilarious sights he’s pretty sure he’s ever experienced.

 

“Happy, I’m gonna get my suit and I’m going to _wreck_ this stupid piece of—“

 

“Language!”

 

“I swear to god Happy, correct my language one more time—“

 

May cuts in. “Both of you shut the hell up!  I’m trying to read these goddamn directions! It’s hard enough with one infant trying to gnaw his way through it, I don’t need two more squabbling so loud I can’t think!”

 

“Did you just—“

 

“Yes, Stark, I called you an infant.”

 

“I am a literal genius superhero!”

 

“As opposed to a figurative one?”

 

“That’s it, fight me, Parker! I will not put up with this disrespect in my _own home_.”

 

“Can we step outside then? I’ll disrespect you there.”

 

Peter’s finally realizing where he got his love of quips and taunting his enemies.

 

“If you didn’t have a baby in your lap—“

 

“Boss, I’m pretty sure you’d lose that fight even if May had to fight with a baby in her arms.”

 

“I don’t pay you to have opinions—“

 

“Pepper’s the one that pays me and _she_ values my opinions.”

 

Peter can’t help it.  He can’t contain his laughter anymore and he lets out an _incredibly manly_ giggle.

 

Three heads snap his way.  Ben leisurely turns his head instead, mouth attached to the crib assembly instructions, and gurgles.

 

“Fuc-freaking finally kid! Fix this!”

 

Tony tosses the parts in his hand in Peter’s direction.

 

Peter raises his eyebrows. “I don’t know if I’ll have much more luck but I’ll try.  Can I have the directions too, please?”

 

May tries to get Ben to let the directions go but only succeeds in making him tear up and start to cry.  She looks helplessly up at Peter and shrugs.

 

“Aw, c’mon, baby boy,” Peter coos, “can’t you let daddy have those? Please?”

 

He kneels down on the floor in front of May and Ben and leans forward to shake his hair lightly in Ben’s face.  Ben giggles and lets of the paper in his hands and his mouth to pat Peter’s cheeks.

 

“Thank you!” He tickles Ben’s belly and turns back to the mess of parts on his bedroom floor.

 

The three adults in the room are staring at Peter oddly.  It’s a mix of shock and surprise, Peter thinks.

 

He blinks at them. “What?”

 

Tony shakes his head. “Nothing, kid.  Help us with this damn crib, alright?”

 

Peter shrugs and gets to work.

 

* * *

 

Surprisingly, or maybe not so surprisingly, Peter wakes up the next morning as the sun is rising, light streaming through his windows, without having woken up once through the night.

 

As Peter sits up, silky sheets sliding down his bare chest, he looks over at Ben’s crib situated on the side of his bed nearest the bathroom. He’s sound asleep and looks to have been that way throughout the night.

 

Peter’s been living with Ben for three months now and he’s pretty sure he’s not slept through the night _ever_.

 

It’s actually quite amazing to have real rest. Peter understands why everyone’s always harping about proper sleep. He feels better than he has in months.

 

He’s sure Ben will too once he gets up.

 

Which, as terrible as it might sound, Peter hopes isn’t soon.  He really, _really_ , wants to take another shower and relax.  So badly.

 

He moves quietly, softly, from the bed and walks over to the dresser.  He picks out the comfiest clothes he can scrap together, some nice pajama pants and a soft t-shirt, and slips into the bathroom.

 

Just like the night before, Peter’s shower is amazing.

 

Unlike the night before, it’s interrupted rather quickly.

 

Peter’s just putting up his scrub brush when he hears Ben start to cry loudly. It’s the first time he’s woken up by himself, Peter thinks, and that must have upset him. Peter turns off the water and rushes out of the shower, naked and soaking wet.

 

“Hey, hey, c’mon Benny Bear! I’m right here,” Peter wipes his hand off on the side of the comforter and picks Ben up, “I didn’t leave! I was just in the shower.”

 

Ben’s still making distressed noises but calmed down significantly in Peter’s arms.

 

Peter starts bouncing him and walking around in an attempt to calm him down further. He’s stopped in the middle of the room, in plain view of the door, when the door opens.

 

“Peter,” Tony calls, “are you okay? I hea—“

 

Peter’s frozen. Tony _freaking_ Stark just walked into the room. The room where Peter is holding a barely covered infant, naked as the day he was born and still soaking wet with water dripping off of him onto the carpet from _everywhere_.

 

Holy shit, why, _why_ was Peter’s life like this?

 

Thankfully, Tony looks as horrified as Peter feels. Tony retreats as quickly as he came.

 

“Peter. _Why_.” Tony demands outside the closed door.

 

“I-I was in the shower! He cried and he’s never woken up alone and-“

 

“God, please, just please put something on. Boxers. Briefs. _Something_.”

 

“But if I put him down he’ll be so upset and he’ll cry!”

 

Peter bears Tony sigh.

 

“Just give him to me. I can hold him while you dry off and dress.”

 

So, Peter trusts Tony, trusts him with his life, but he’s also pretty sure that Tony’s probably never held a baby in his life.

 

“N-no offense, Mr. Stark, but, um, I don’t—“

 

“Peter, I’m nearly fifty years old, I have a held a baby before and I’m more than capable of watching an infant for five minutes.”

 

“I-yeah, okay.”

 

Pete very carefully hands Ben over to Tony through the door, “Make sure you, like, secure him, okay, and don’t—“

 

“ _Peter Benjamin Parker_.”

 

Peter yelps, “Y-yup, yeah, okay.”

 

He runs to the bathroom, dries and dressed in record time. He rushes back into the room and finds Tony rocking Ben gently on the bed.

 

Without looking up from Ben’s face Tony says, “Teeth?”

 

“Huh?”

 

“Brush your teeth, Peter. Dental hygiene is important. You have to set a good example, don’t you?”

 

Peter flushes and slowly, hesitantly, walks back into the bathroom to brush his teeth.

 

He finishes and walks back out.

 

“Deodorant?”

 

Peter’s eyes nearly roll out of his head, “Seriously?”

 

“Seriously. I don’t want to smell teen boy all day long especially when it’s compounded with baby boy. Deodorant.”

 

“God!”

 

Peter rushes back to the bathroom, throws some deodorant on, and rushes back out.

 

“Can I have my baby now?”

 

Tony hums. “Maybe. I kinda wanna keep him. He’s cute. His name is Anthony too. I think we’re a pretty decent match.”

 

While Peter’s overjoyed that Tony seems to be warming up to Ben, Peter also really just wants to hold his baby.

 

He stretches out his arms.

 

Tony rolls his eyes. “Fine. But don’t be surprised if he starts crying because he wants his gr— _Tony_ back.”

 

Was that what Peter thought it was?

 

Maybe best to leave that alone for now, Peter thinks.

 

Tony stands up. “Alright, kid, let’s go. May’s waiting in the kitchen with breakfast.”

 

Tony pauses midway between Peter and the door. “I mean that May and breakfast are both in the kitchen not that May had made breakfast. I promise that we’re actually trying to feed you and not kill you. It’s totally edible food with no involvement from May.”

 

Peter snorts as he follows Tony out to the hallway. “Thanks, I appreciate that. You’ve still got formula right?”

 

“Of course. We have plenty. I made Happy go out and buy a bunch of baby toys, too, so he can have some fun with those later.”

 

“Thank you! He’s never had toys and I know he’ll be really excited to play with them!”

 

Tony ruffles his hair in response.

 

When they reach the kitchen, they find May and Pepper eating some cereal and chatting.

 

“Peter! Hey, baby,” May kisses his forehead, “how did you two sleep?”

 

Peter smiles. “Great! He slept through the night surprisingly. I think we were both just exhausted.”

 

“Traipsing around New York for two weeks homeless will do that.”

 

Peter stares at May, simultaneously angry and ashamed.

 

“So what’s for breakfast?” He asks instead of responding.

 

Pepper responds. “We’ve got some pancakes, if you want. Tons of them because Tony thought you were actually a small army he needed to feed and not a boy.”

 

Peter cracks a smile and nods. He bypasses the food and the company, however, and moves to the cabinet that had the baby formula in it when he left.

 

He bounces Ben in one arm as he starts to mix the formula together.

 

“Need help?” May asks.

 

Peter shakes his head. “Nah, I’ve go—“

 

Ben shoves his little hand in Peter’s mouth.

 

Peter removes it and wipes the saliva off of Ben’s hand on to his own shirt.

 

“I’ve got it.”

 

Peter’s not looking at the three adults but he’s definitely got the feeling like he’s being watched. It’s a little disconcerting, and definitely a little anxiety inducing, but Peter keeps focused on getting Ben feed.

 

They’re waiting on the bottle to warm when Ben squirms, makes an unhappy noise, and starts to mouth at Peter’s nipple. Again.

 

“Aw, c’mon, you haven’t done this for weeks baby,” Peter complains as he tries to extricate his poor nipple, “we’ve had this talk. That doesn’t actually produce milk.”

 

Ben gurgles and tries again. Peter cuts him off and Ben decides to go big or go home and shoves his hands down Peter’s collar, pulls it down, and starts grabbing.

 

“Really? Seriously buddy?”

 

Ben stares up at him, blinking innocently, and continues trying to force Peter’s body to suddenly become the opposite sex.  Thankfully, the microwave dings and Peter snatches it out.  He brings the bottle to Ben’s mouth and Ben latches on immediately.

 

With Ben tucked in his arm, happily feeding away, Peter finally turned his attention towards his own breakfast.

 

Oh, Peter's so excited!  Pancakes, eggs, sausage, bacon, there’s so much Peter doesn’t know what to grab first.

 

Luckily he doesn’t have to. May’s already got a plate for him.

 

“Thank you!”

 

May smiles. “Of course, baby.”

 

Peter settles in the chair beside her.  It takes all of two seconds to realize that he can’t hold Ben’s bottle and eat at the same time.

 

He glares down at his plate, trying to figure out how to eat.

 

May’s hand grabs the fork on the plate and she stabs some of the cut up pancake.

 

“Open up the tunnel for the Choo Choo!” May laughs in a high pitch.

 

She twirls the fork around, in a looping circle, and brings it up to his mouth.

 

Peter laughs. “May, I’m not five!”

 

“Aw, come on grumpy cat!  Open wide!”

 

Tony joins in with a smile. “Yeah, Grumpy Gus, open for the airplane!”

 

Pepper cuts in. “I’m confused, is it a train or a plane?”

 

“I’m Tony Stark.  It’s both.”

 

Peter snorts mid bite and accidentally spits some chewed up food out on May’s hand.

 

“Ew! What was that you were just saying about not being five?”

 

Ben took that opportunity to spit up on Peter.

 

“Ha! Justice!”

 

Pepper rolls her eyes. “Here, Peter, give him to me. I can hold him while you eat.”

 

“Oh, um, I’m—“

 

“Peter.”

 

“Yeah, okay.”

 

Ms. Potts holds Ben with a ridiculous amount of grace. It’s unfair.  Peter has to work so hard to be able to hold Ben with half as much poise.  He dabs at the spit up on his shirt with his napkin and some water until it's clean enough.

 

“Why don’t you eat and then the three of you can have your talk?” Pepper asks. “I can watch him for a bit.”

 

Peter really, really wants to say no because he never wants to have Ben away from him but he nods with his mouth full.  It’ll be easier on everyone if they can just focus on what they need to.

 

“Thank you, Pep.” Tony says while May nods in agreement.

 

Pepper hums in response, gazing down at Ben.

 

Peter inhales his food after that.  He does want to enjoy it, of course he does, but he’d also really like to get this, whatever _this_ is, over with.

 

The three of them leave Pepper with a content Ben and move to the living room.

 

May and Tony sit opposite Peter.  He’s kind of glad for the space.

 

“So,” May says, “you don’t want to give up the baby.  The baby that was forced on you as an experiment and weapon by evil, Nazi kidnappers.”

 

“Technically,” Tony interrupts, “Hydra predates Nazis.  But that seemed to be an accurate summation to me.”

 

Peter gets where they’re coming from, he does, but he has to argue.

 

“He’s still my son, guys!  He’s still half me.”

 

“We understand—“

 

“You don’t!  Not really,” Peter interrupts Tony, “yeah, it was kind of horrible and disturbing at first.  It sucked, actually.  But he kind of became the only reason I would get out of the bed, ya know?  Like, I had to get up to change him and then he’d look at me and look all helpless and stuff and—“

 

Peter has to stop for a second or he might cry, “He’s important, okay?  He’s so much more important than whatever anyone ever did to me.  I need him and he needs me.”

 

May and Tony both look a bit contrite after that but they nod.

 

“It’ll mean a lot of changes.” May warns.

 

Peter nods, hope and relief filling his chest.

 

“It’ll mean no Spider-Man for a while.” Tony adds.

 

That makes Peter freeze.  He knew he’d have to cut back, of course he did, but—

 

“What do you mean? Like, ever? Years? I mean, I know I need to not go out as much but not at all?”

 

They both nod at him solemnly.

 

“Not at all.  At least until we all find a proper routine.  Tony and I aren’t going to parent him for you.  Do you understand that? So, we have to find a balance first.”

 

Peter isn’t exactly happy about that but he nods all the same.

 

May continues. “That doesn’t mean that we’re not willing to help out, of course.  Right, Tony?”

 

Tony nods. “Of course.”

 

“Alright.  So, Peter, we’ve got a few weeks until school starts again.  You’ll probably have to repeat the last year but maybe we can talk to someone about you testing out of it?”

 

She seems to be addressing the question to Tony.

 

He nods and hums. “Yeah, I think we can.  He might be able to pull it off.”

 

Peter nods enthusiastically.  He really, _really_ doesn’t want to be stuck behind a year.  He won’t really know anyone and, worst of all, he’d be without Ned.

 

May clears her throat.  “We’ll also be staying here for a little while.  I have to find a new job and a new apartment for us.”

 

“I can help with the apartment if you want.” Tony offers.

 

“That’d be appreciated, Tony, thank you.”

 

Peter’s confused.

 

“A new job and apartment?” He asks.

 

Tony and May look at him with wide eyes.

 

“Um, yes, sorry,” May responds, “I...may have lost my job and moved here from the apartment over the last year.  I didn’t have time for work so they cut me.”

 

Suddenly all of the hope and relief Peter was feeling evaporates.

 

“I’m-I’m so sorry, May.”

 

“It’s not your fault, baby, it’s not.  It’s just a thing, okay?  We’ll be fine.”

 

Peter nods.  He feels so much worse about taking the money, now, and he opens his to respond when they hear Ben start crying.

 

His head snaps towards the kitchen and then back to Tony and May.

 

May smiles. “Well? Go on, Dad. Go get my grandnephew.  We can finish later.”

 

Peter beams.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope you enjoyed! As a heads up, this is the last prewritten chapter I had. Please let me know if you guys have anything specific you might want to see!
> 
> Thank you again!


	5. Chapter 5

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey guys! Not much to say this time. This chapter is just a ton of fluff. It's reallllllllly a short filler chapter because I've been hella busy this past week and haven't had a whole lot of time to write.
> 
> I hope you like it!

They have one more conversation before bath time.  It’s just him and Tony because May had run off to grab Ben some more clothes with Pepper.

 

“Now I don’t want you to worry,” Tony says, “but we do have to take this into account.”

 

Peter nods as he rocks Ben while they walk towards his bedroom.

 

“Hydra took you because you were changed on a _genetic_ level. You weren’t irradiated like Bruce and it wasn’t just a superficial enhancement of your body like Rogers’ enhancement was. It went down to your genes.”

 

“This means,” he continues, “that any children you have stand a decent chance of having similar mutations. Including Ben.”

 

“I kind of figured.  I haven’t really noticed anything different about him yet but, I mean, I don’t know how these things work, I guess.”

 

Tony nods. “We’re not entirely sure when or if any kind of mutations might manifest but we’re reasonably confident it won’t be for a while yet.  But I really need you to keep this in mind, okay, Pete?  It’s not just you that’s at risk of being taken anymore.  It’s him.  It’s any other children you might want to have.”

 

“You have to be _careful_.” Tony stresses.

 

Peter nods and opens his mouth—

 

“No, no, wait. You really have to be more careful than you have been! Hydra, despite us having beaten this particular branch, might still be looking for you and the easiest way to get to you is Ben now.”

 

Peter swallows and nods, too afraid that he might cry if he says anything.  The thought that someone would _take_ Ben and hurt him—

 

It’s unbearable.

 

“So, you can’t be as reckless as you have been.  No more removing tracking devices, which you _both_ will be getting, and no more running off to fight bad guys without consulting me or May.  That can’t happen anymore.”

 

Peter blinks. “But, I thought we said no more Spider-Man?”

 

Tony stops in his tracks. “For a little while, yes.  Just until everyone can get their bearings again.  Did you think we meant permanently?  ‘Cause we didn’t. Neither of us.”

 

Peter nods slowly. “So, just better communication.”

 

Tony smiles. “Exactly.”

 

They walk in silence for a bit further before Tony hesitantly brings up what Peter really, _really_ , hadn’t wanted him to.

 

“Pete, I know that- I know that I haven’t been the best, uh, mentor, I guess would be the word, but I just—“

 

He sighs. “You know you can always talk to me, right? I know it might seem like I don’t listen or that I might not have time but I do and I can make it.  Neither of us, May or I, ever want you to feel like you can’t approach us about the things you need or want to.”

 

Tony seems to prepare himself. “So, just— I don’t want you to ever think that you won’t have help because you will. You _do_.  Whatever the circumstance, okay?  Regardless of how angry or upset I am I never, _ever_ , want you to do something that you don’t want or need to.  Especially for money.  That’s not an issue for you anymore, okay? For you or for May.”

 

Peter opens his mouth to interrupt but Tony holds a hand up.

 

“I don’t mean to injure any pride and I’ve already had this talk with May.  I’m not going to be stepping in where I shouldn’t but for major things, for emergencies, I’m here.”

 

Peter shuts his mouth and nods as he opens the door to his room.

 

Tony clears his throat and says his next words in a rush. “So please don’t try and, um, prostitute yourself because you need money.”

 

Peter chokes on his own spit and starts hacking.  Ben makes a variety of displeased noises as he’s pelted with spit.

 

Peter wonders if Ben might realize the irony of that particular situation.

 

Peter manages to reply, albeit in a very high tone. “Y-yeah, c-can’t say that that’s something I really wanna do.”

 

“And, uh, be aware that May’s probably going to want to have a similar conversation.”

 

God, please let him die.  Let the earth take Peter now.

 

Peter just nods and heads into the bath room to start the water in the tub.

 

“I’d, uh, invite you to help,” Peter calls to Tony who’s standing by the bed, peering into the bathroom, “but I kinda have to get in with him.  We don’t have a bath seat for him and the only sink big enough is the kitchen but I, uh, don’t really feel comfortable bathing him in a communal sink like that.  So, yeah, I gotta get in with him and, uh—“

 

“Say no more!  I’m fine, I’ve got other things I can do. Just have Fri get me if you need anything.”

 

Tony shuts the bathroom door on his way out.

 

Peter lets the water fill up, only an inch or so, at a lukewarm temperature before he has F.R.I.D.A.Y turn the heating on in the bathroom, undresses Ben and himself, and then slips the two of them into the tub.

 

It feels weird being in a bath with only an inch of water but needs must.

 

“This is fun, huh?  Bath time, bath time!”

 

Ben giggles and smacks his hands in the water.

 

“Yeah, we love this!  Favorite time!”

 

Peter gently scoops some water up and starts washing Ben, carefully avoiding any areas that could agitate him.

 

“Alright, now for the less fun part.”

 

Peter grabs the baby soap that Tony and May had the foresight to buy and gets to work again.

 

He’s just finished washing the soap off of Ben when the door opens.

 

“Peter, baby, you have to see what I—“

 

Peter only barely manages to keep himself from shooting up and disturbing Ben.

 

“May! Wha— Get out!  I’m naked!”

 

May stands at the doorway and blinks at Peter. “Honey, I promise I’ve seen you naked.  A lot.  You really hated clothes as a toddler which, now that I think about it, explains a whole lot about the costume choice—“

 

“May!”

 

“What?  Peter, I did the same thing you’re doing _right now_ with you when you were little.  So did Ben and your parents.  Honestly,” She says as she sits down on the toilet while holding a shopping bag, “you act like I’ve never seen a penis before.  Specifically yours.”

 

Why is his family like this?  Does this, this being walking in on him naked while holding a baby, happen to everyone or is it just Peter?

 

“Anyway,” May continues, “I found the _cutest_ things while we were shopping!”

 

“May, please, can this—“

 

Oh shit, it really _is_ the cutest thing.

 

“Is that a Spider-Man onesie?”

 

It’s a near carbon copy of his Stark suit, miniaturized to fit an infant.

 

“Yes!  It’s so cute, isn’t it?”

 

“And,” May says, “They had a whole line of the things for all ages!  We got some Thor, a little bit of the Hulk and Iron Patriot, and an excessive amount of Iron Man.”

 

“Oh my god, May, I love it.  He’ll love it, oh geez, this is—“

 

“ _And_ ,” she continues, “I managed to find a kids XXL that’ll fit you! In the Iron Man _and_ the Spider-Man!”

 

“Oh man, I, geez,” Peter starts to stand but stops, “can you give me a minute to dry us off and dress? Leave the onesie!”

 

May shakes her head, “No, we gotta wash it first.  Just stick him in a diaper and give him a really fluffy towel.”

 

Peter nods and she leaves.

 

Peter dresses himself and Ben as quick as he can.

 

* * *

 

When Peter and Ben walk into the living room it’s to a lot of madness.

 

There’s toys and boxes and clothes strewn all across the floor and the couches while Tony, May, Pepper, and Happy all coo at literally everything.

 

“Pep, _Pepper_ , do you see this onesie? Do you? I need it. I need seventeen!”

 

“Tony, you have the actual suit that it’s modeled after—“

 

“It’s not the same!”

 

“They don’t make these in your size!”

 

“But May got Peter—“

 

“I got him a kids double x,” May cuts in, “because he’s super tiny.  I haven’t had to buy him clothes since he turned thirteen.”

 

Peter opens his mouth to defend himself because he’s an actual superhero and is very well built, thank you very much, when Tony beats him to it.

 

“Irrelevant, I need one.  I’ll have one tailor made if I have to.”

 

“Tony—“

 

“Oh, Pep, you can have one too!  We can twinsie!  We can be cute! Well, cuter.”

 

“I actually don’t hate that idea, Pepper.  You guys could make an SI calendar.”

 

“I would buy one,” Peter says, “and I know a bunch of other people who would too!”

 

Tony laughs. “I’m sure!  Now we have to do it, Pep.  We _need_ to be on the walls of teenagers bedrooms across the country.”

 

Pepper sighs. “How do you manage to make everything weird?”

 

He shrugs and smiles in reply.

 

Ben distracts Peter by leaning towards something on the couch and grunting.

 

“Huh? What’s up, buddy?”

 

Peter walks closer to the couch and sits on the edge.  He sets Ben on the cushion, leaning against Peter’s thigh and side.  Ben reaches down and grabs a little crochet fox toy.  It’s a ring with a fox’s head coming off the top.

 

Ben waves it up and down for a moment and then sticks it in his mouth.  He nibbles on it for a second and then waves it again.

 

He’s giggling and smiling and Peter feels like he’s going to explode from the joy he’s feeling.

 

He’s grinning like an idiot down at Ben when he hears the shutter from a camera on a phone and looks up.

 

May’s smiling and waves her phone at him. “Baby’s first toy!”

 

Peter wants to cry.

 

He does, actually.

 

Tony and May sit beside him and Happy and Pepper move behind the couch and lean over it.  Tony puts a hand on Peter’s knee, May bumps their shoulders, Happy puts a hand on his other shoulder and squeezes, and Pepper ruffles his hair and shakes the toy gently in Ben’s hand.

 

Now, Peter thinks, everything is right and good in his life.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, yeah, a lot of pointless fluff with a smidgen of seriousness thrown in.
> 
> I promise there will be some more substance in the next update.
> 
> I hope you enjoyed!


	6. Chapter 6

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey guys! Shorter one again this time. I've been really, really busy lately so my writing's suffering a bit for it. A little more development her but not a whole lot. I swear I'm actually going to get to some exciting/interesting things soon.

“What do you think of this one?” May asks Peter a few nights later.

 

They’ve been looking at apartments for the last couple of hours.  Tony, having successfully argued that if they wanted to get Peter back in school and maybe back in the right grade they would have to move back sooner rather than later, had been helping them but was called away by Pepper a few hours ago.  Tony told them that he’d buy them a house or a penthouse if they wanted and to pick the best place possible if not but neither of them really feel comfortable with that.

 

So, here they sit, crawling their way through every possible listing that they could potentially afford. They’re using May’s pay from her last job as a reference point for that.  May said that she might not find a job that pays as well but she also might find one that pays better so it’s more of an estimate.

 

Regardless, finding a two bedroom apartment anywhere in New York City for anything resembling affordable is difficult.

 

Three bedrooms? Good fucking luck.

 

Peter hums in response to May’s question. “I like it, I think. It’s closer to the school.”

 

May nods. “Two bedroom though.”

 

Peter shakes his head. “I’ve given up on finding a three bedroom apartment.  He’s going to be sleeping with me for a while anyway.”

 

“Maybe but leases tend be for at least a year, Peter.  You’ll want to start getting him used to the idea of sleeping in his own room before then, won’t you?”

 

“Not really.  Babies should actually sleep in the same room as their parents for the first year to watch for SIDS.”

 

May stops looking at the compute to blink at Peter.

 

He shrugs. “It was in the book they gave me.  So, really, it’d work out perfectly.”

 

“Well, I’ve got a couple of interviews in the next week.  Maybe I can ask Tony to front the deposit and first month rent and then pay him back.”

 

Peter nods.

 

“And I’ll call the school in the morning to set up a meeting to talk about getting you into your grade.  Is it alright if Tony comes?”

 

“Yeah, that’d be great.”

 

May smiles at him.  “Why don’t you go check on Ben? I’m just going to finish up here and then see about dinner.”

 

“Okay, let me know if you need help!”

 

Peter jumps up and heads off to his room.  F.R.I.D.A.Y. has been keeping an eye on Ben while he naps and she hasn’t said anything so he’s probably still asleep.  If Peter wants to sleep at all tonight that has to stop.

 

* * *

 

Ben, of course, is understandably upset when Peter wakes him up.  He screams and cries like Peter’s stabbing him with a rusty spoon and nothing, _nothing_ , will calm him down.

 

“C’mon, buddy, what’s wrong? You can’t be this cranky over a nap!”

 

Ben continues to cry into Peter’s shirt and grab at it.

 

The shirt maybe?  They haven’t had to resort to skin on skin contact for awhile but still.

 

“Alright, alright, I’ll get our shirts off.”

 

It takes some maneuvering but Peter manages to get their bare chests touching. Peter feels a little weird being shirtless in the compound with floor to ceiling windows and the door wide open but needs must.

 

“Is that better?”

 

Obviously not because he’s still crying and Peter’s—

 

Peter’s feeling sticky?

 

Like Spider-Man sticky.

 

His child, quieter now, is stuck to him and _Peter isn’t the one doing the sticking_.

 

Peter lets his arms fall free and Ben stays cuddled right up to his chest.

 

Holy shit.

 

“Holy shit.  Fry- Fry, get May and Mr. Stark up here, like right now, holy shit.”

 

What does a parent do when a not quite six-month old spontaneously develops a super power?

 

Not drop him?  Examine him?

 

What the hell.

 

Peter brings his arms back up out of habit and fear.

 

“Is everything alright, Peter?”

 

“Uh, yeah, maybe? I just, um, need them? Please?”

 

“They’re on their way.”

 

Ben’s still stuck to Peter, far more content than he was when May and Tony rush through the door, wide eyed and panicked.

 

“What’s wrong? Are either of you hurt?  Sick?” Tony asks in a rush.

 

“Uh, well, there’s been, um, a thing. A development.” Peter replies.

 

May’s eyebrows furrow. “A development?”

 

“Yeah, lemme show you.”

 

Peter lets his arms drop.

 

May and Tony both shout in alarm and start to dive for Ben but stop short when he doesn’t fall.

 

They both blink at him.

 

“Yeah,” Peter responds, “that was my reaction.”

 

* * *

 

They manage to get Ben unstuck from Peter via a combination of food, tickles, and blood drawing.

 

The last part was by far the most unpleasant but also, unfortunately, necessary.

 

“We won’t know anything for a few hours,” Tony says after he puts the sample in for analysis, “but I expect we’ll find more of the same.  Maybe an extra activated gene. Nothing too terrible.”

 

Peter nods as he bounces Ben up and down.

 

“Do you think he could hurt himself?” Peter asks.

 

“We’ll just have to watch him more carefully. If you want, I can have some cameras installed in your bedroom.  Just the bedroom, mind.  We’d leave the bathroom untouched.”

 

Peter bites his lip as he thinks.  It would be best for Ben to have another, constantly watching, set of metaphorical eyes on him.  Besides, it’s not like Peter would be losing a ton of privacy.  He could survive it.

 

“Y-yeah, I think that would be okay.”

 

Tony nods and looks to May. “Let me know when you decide on an apartment please. I’d like to, uh, well, install might not be the best word for it, but install F.R.I.D.A.Y. throughout it.  Nothing too Big Brother or creepy just an extra baby monitor.  If that’s okay with you?”

 

May looks extremely uncomfortable but nods all the same.

 

“I think that would be best. I’ve got one I’m looking at right now.  I can show it to you after dinner?”

 

Tony nods. “Sounds good.  Speaking of dinner, has anyone gotten anything?”

 

Peter shakes his head and so does May.

 

“I was going to,” May says, “but we got distracted.”

 

“How about I order us some delivery? Pizza?”

 

They both nod.

 

* * *

 

The next morning, Peter wakes late to an empty crib beside him.

 

He groggily stumbles out of bed and into the hallway.

 

He follows the sounds of voices, breathing, and heart beats into the kitchen.  May has Ben in her arms and is talking to Tony in a hushed and severe voice.

 

“—don’t know what they expect, he’s jus—“

 

She cuts herself off when she sees Peter.

 

She smiles tightly. “We have to talk, baby. I called the school and talked to principal Morita.  I’ve got some okay news and some bad news.”

 

Peter gulps.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope you enjoyed! See you next week!


	7. Chapter 7

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Kind of a short one again. Real life is still kicking my ass.
> 
> If you guys have questions on the timeline of this universe let me know. I've got a whole thing I can put up for you guys.

“So, I can’t go back to school?”

 

“No, you can but you might not be able to get in to the grade you were supposed to be in.”

 

Peter squints at May.  “Why?”

 

She sighs in response. “It’s a bit complicated from what your principal told us.  They’re more than happy to let you back in but you’ll most likely have to repeat the tenth grade.  He said that because you weren’t able to even get to midterms in the first semester that, to the school system, it looks as if you didn’t even _attend_ the tenth grade.”

 

Peter sputters. “B-but I _did_! I went to nationals and homecoming and—“

 

“Even so,” May interrupts, “ _officially_ you weren’t there.  You don’t have the credits or scores or grades to get into the eleventh grade.“

 

Peter’s shoulders slump and he twists his head to look out the window.  He feels like crying but he hates crying in front of May.  It makes her cry which makes him cry _more_ and so on and so forth until they drown New York in their tears.  It’s a mess.

 

“But Morita did say that he would bring up the special circumstances to the board to see if he could get enough sympathy to try and let you test out of the tenth grade.”

 

Peter’s chest fills with air and hope.

 

May’s quick to correct him though. “I don’t want you to get your hopes up.  He said that that might be a long shot. It’s almost unheard of to have a student skip a grade past the third grade as well, so, there isn’t really a precedent for it either. I did want you to know he’s trying.  He really wants you to be where you should be.”

 

“S-so, it’s not a completely hopeless case, right?  I might still be able to graduate with Ned?”

 

May smiles tightly. “Maybe, baby.  We’re hoping so. Morita said that he’ll call me back as soon as he gets an answer.”

 

God, Peter really, really hopes they’ll let him test out. He’s sure he could do it! He’d just have to study a lot! Maybe Tony could help him prepare too. It’s not that Peter is against having to repeat the year in and of itself, it’s just that he’s never gone to school without Ned. They’ve been friends for as long as Peter could remember. The idea of not being with him when they graduate is really upsetting.

 

And, well, Peter’s terrible at making friends. That was before he would be the freak that got kidnapped to breed and came back with a baby too.

 

May sighs and runs her fingers through his hair. “There’s no use worrying about it right now. We’ll know when we know and go from there.”

 

Peter nods.

 

* * *

 

They don’t hear anything back for a couple of days but that doesn’t mean nothing happens.

 

For example, Peter has to decide if he wants to give his enhanced son shots every six months.

 

He should explain.

 

An enhanced baby is not an easy thing to deal with. Often, that baby can be a danger to itself and others; Peter knows this for act. When he first mutated, as a barely 14-year-old, he fucked up a lot.  A baby with little comprehension and control?  The damage Ben could do if he manifested more than just the ability to stick to anything in the next couple of years would be terrifying.

 

So, Tony and the doctors Simmons, Fitz, and Cho came up with a serum that would limit any powers manifesting in Ben and stop the adhesive properties he’s already gained.

 

It’s not like Peter wants to put his kid on regular shots this early in life but he can’t just let Ben crawl his way out of a window and fall off the side of a building can he?

 

“It’s only once every six months.” Tony says as they sit in the lab.

 

“It’ll just be until he’s old enough to be taught. Maybe seven or eight.”

 

Eight years?

 

Sixteen shots. That’s not so bad.

 

Peter can do that.

 

* * *

 

He lied. He can’t do it.

 

“Peter. Peter, please. You can do it! Just find the vein, insert the needle, push the plunger, and bam! You’re done!” May encourages him.

 

“B-But it’ll hurt him! He’ll cry!”

 

May sighs. “Yes, but it’s necessary. You don’t want him hurt do you?”

 

Peter stutters. “I-I don’t wanna hurt him at all!”

 

“Baby, come on. The quicker you do it, the quicker it’s done.”

 

Ben gazes up at him, blinking innocently.

 

Why did Peter have to be the one to do this?

 

Oh, he insisted.  That’s right.

 

May huffs impatiently and opens her mouth to say something when her phone rings.

 

“Please give him the shot.  For my sanity and yours.”

 

Peter sighs as she leaves the room.

 

“Please don’t hate me for this?  It’s gotta happen, bud.  I’m hurting you for a second so you don’t hurt a lot more later.”

 

Peter picks up the alcohol and gauze pad and wipes the section of Ben’s arm Tony showed him to use.

 

He picks up the needle—

 

“Ah, why don’t you let me do that?”  Tony says as he walks in.

 

“No, we talked about this, I wanna—“

 

“I know, I know, but how many shots have you given in your life?  Not many?  I’ve had to do it a few times.  I promise I’ll be gentle.”

 

Peter really wants to stick to his guns but Tony does make a decent argument.

 

“You can hold him in your lap while I do it.  That’ll make it easier on him, right?”

 

Peter nods slowly.

 

“Well.  Alright.”

 

He hands Tony the needle and sits in one of the chairs near the counter.

 

“Alright.  Three, two—“

 

Stick.

 

Ben startles in Peter’s lap and tilts his head down to look at the needle in his arm.  He’s quiet until Tony takes the needle out.  Then he starts bawling his poor eyes out.

 

“Oh, it’s okay!  I’m right here, baby, I promise!  It’s not so bad!”

 

Tony slaps a little bandage on it quickly.  That, distressingly, makes him cry harder.

 

Peter glares at Tony.

 

He holds his hands up. “What? Just trying to help.”

 

Peter rocks Ben gently in his arms and manages to sneak a pacifier into his mouth. The pacifier calms him down fairly well and he starts to settle in Peter’s arms.

 

“If you think that’s bad,” Tony says, “wait until we have to have someone give him his next round of vaccinations. At least Hydra kept him up to date on this.”

 

No, Peter definitely does not want to think about that.

 

Peter starts to reply when May bustles back into the kitchen.

 

“Guess what? Guess what?”

 

“What?” Peter asks.

 

May smiles gleefully. “The— oh, you gave him his shot.  Good!”

 

Peter rolls his eyes. “May!”

 

She waves him off. “Yeah, yeah.  Anyway, the school board was persuaded by principal Morita’s argument.  Because of the special circumstances and your academic record, they’re going to let you attempt to test into the eleventh grade.”

 

Peter would be on the ceiling if he didn’t have his infant son in his arms.

 

He gets to be with his class!  He doesn’t have to repeat, well actually attend, the year he missed!

 

“Seriously?”

 

“Yes!”

 

Tony coughs. “So, what does he have to do?”

 

May’s smile flags just a bit. “He’s got to take the midterms and finals from each of the classes he missed. For both semesters.  They’re contacting the teachers now to have them revise the exams and arrange for him to take the labs and practicals as well.”

 

Suddenly, alarmingly, Peter feels a rush of horrifying anxiety.

 

Peter had six classes and two labs for each semester planned at the beginning of the year.  That’s twenty four exams and, probably, eight different labs he has to make up.  In the next month.

 

He gulps. “I need to talk to Ned.  Probably Michelle.  Maybe just the whole decathlon team.”

 

He looks at Tony desperately.  “Do you think you have some friends that might be willing to tutor me?”

 

Tony nods solemnly. “We can work something out.”

 

“They’ll be emailing study guides in the next couple of days too.” May chimes in.

 

Peter nods, mostly to himself.

 

He can do this.  He’s faced a flying monster guy.  He’s fought a giant-little man, a falcon guy, a metal arm guy, and Captain America.  He’s endured Hydra.  He’s fucking _Spider-Man_.

 

High school honors and AP courses have nothing on him.

 

He stops rocking Ben and looks out the window, frozen in horror and crushing anxiety.

 

“I’m pretty sure I’m fucked.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope you enjoyed! See you next week!


	8. Chapter 8

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hope you like it guys! Thank you all!

For once in his life, Peter was right.

 

He is absolutely fucked.

 

The study guides the school sent are literally pages long. _Pages_.

 

There’s just so much Peter has to study.

 

He’s alone right now, has been for the last couple of days, because May and Tony said that he has to concentrate and he can’t do that while he’s caring for an infant.

 

His first exam is in four days. It’s a physics exam, thank all that is decent in the universe, so Peter feels far more prepared to deal with it than he thought he might. It’s still a lot to study for but he’s pretty confident.

 

It’d be nice to talk to Ned though.

 

He looks at the clock and decides that he’s been studying long enough for a break so he gets up and walks to May’s room.

 

Super senses are really nice for keeping track of where people are.

 

He knocks.

 

“Come in!”

 

He slips in the door.

 

May’s sitting at her desk working on the computer, Ben playing, as much as an almost four month old can play, on her lap.

 

“Hey, Petey. How’s it going? Head explode yet?”

 

Peter smiles and knocks his head lightly with his hand. “Still attached. Sounds kind empty though. How are you guys?”

 

“Not bad.  He’s been pretty good.  Hasn’t cried a bit!”

 

Peter walks closer to them and kneels down to play with Ben for moment.

 

“Are you a good boy? Yeah, you are, I know.”

 

Ben gurgles.

 

Peter looks up at May. “Do you think that, um, I could maybe have Ned over? Even just for a couple of hours? I really want to see him again and I could use his help too.”

 

May nods. “To be honest, his mom called me when we found you to ask about the two of you seeing each other again but I wanted to give you a bit more time. Especially after the, uh, incident.”

 

Peter cringes, not at all pleased about the reminder. “Yeah, uh, I get that. So, can I call him?”

 

“Yes, of course, baby. I’ll let Tony know to expect him.”

 

“Thanks. Can I take him for a bit?”

 

May raises an eyebrow at him. “How’s the studying going?”

 

“Good. Taking a break.”

 

May hums. “Yeah, okay. Just for a bit though. Your test is in a couple of days.”

 

Peter smiles. “Thanks!”

 

He picks Ben up. “Wanna play with Daddy? Huh? Wanna sit with Dada?”

 

Ben smiles and smacks Peter in the chest with his hands.

 

“Yeah! Fun time! C’mon, buddy, let’s play.”

 

Peter takes Ben back to his room where the majority of his toys seem to have migrated. He sets Ben down on the carpet, his back to Peter’s belly, and grabs the knit fox ring.

 

Ben loves that toy.  Peter’s not certain why and only a little bit miffed that he seems to shove every spider toy away whenever Peter tries to give him one.

 

“You do realize that you’re going to have to be a spider themed crime fighter right?  Not a fox?”

 

Ben continues to gnaw on the toy and Peter’s hand.

 

Peter’s beginning to not recognize his body without some form of fluid on it. It feels more normal to have spit up or slobber on him than to not.

 

He’s not entirely sure when that happened.

 

“No? Okay.  You can be a fox. That sticks to things and climbs up walls. Because that’s what foxes do.”

 

Ben seems to nod, as if agreeing with Peter.

 

“I gotta find a fox themed baby onesie.”

 

Peter continues to play with Ben, exchanging toy for toy, and tries to keep Ben engaged and thinking. This also has the added benefit of keeping Peter engaged.

 

“Do you think Ned will freak out? What am I saying, of course he will! Maybe not like a ‘oh, Peter, I can’t be an uncle’ freak out but more like a ‘yes, someone to spoil’ kind of freak out.  Right?”

 

Ben tries to twist to look at Peter but falls.  Peter rights him.

 

“I’m really, really excited, Benny.  You’ll love Ned.”

 

There’s a knock at his door before it’s nudged open.

 

Tony strolls in. “Hey, kid, I’m here for the kid.  You gotta get back to work.”

 

Peter sighs.

 

“Yeah, yeah, I know.  I’m a terrible person, I ruin all the fun.  But, hey, think about it like this: the sooner it’s you do it, the sooner it’s done.”

 

Peter narrows his eyes as he hands Ben over to Tony. “You know, that’s a really old person thing to say.  It’s both useless and condescending. Really fitting for you.”

 

Tony holds Ben’s wrist and uses his hand to smack Peter’s face. “Tell Daddy he’s a meanie head.  Meanie head!”

 

Ben giggles.

 

Peter sighs a long suffering sigh.  Again.

 

Tony seems to make Peter sigh all the freaking time.

 

“By the way,” Tony calls as he leaves, “Ted’ll be here tomorrow around noon. He’s gonna catch you up on all the hot teen gossip and help you study.”

 

Hot teen gossip. Peter wants to crawl into the ground _for_ Tony.

 

“Thanks!  I’m really thankful that you’re letting him come up here.”

 

Tony shrugs one shoulder from the door way. “Don’t worry about.  If he’s your friend, he’s my friend.”

 

Peter is…ridiculously touched by that, actually.  He can’t wait to tell Ned that Tony Stark said he was his friend.

 

* * *

 

Peter is doing everything he can to keep from bouncing up and down. May had to take Ben from him twenty minutes ago because he was winding Ben up too much.

 

He can’t help it! Ned’s almost here!

 

He watches the car pull up near the entrance and starts to run from his vantage point on the second floor.

 

Ned!

 

When Peter bursts through the doors to the warm August day Ned stops his stupefied gazing and locks on to Peter.  His face widens into the biggest grin Peter’s ever seen.

 

Peter’s own face is hurting from the same smiling.

 

He nearly tackles Ned onto the ground as he hugs him.

 

“Ned!”

 

“Peter! I missed you, dude, so bad!”

 

“I know, I know, I missed you too! I’m so sorry that I—“

 

“Bro, no, you don’t have to be sorry! It wasn’t your fault that Hydra’s full of creeptastic asshats.”

 

Peter, distantly, can hear the doors open and May start to walk towards them with Ben in her arms.

 

“I love you, man, and I’m so glad you’re home.”

 

Peter is absolutely not crying. Ned’s just got some cat hair on his shirt.  Because Peter’s allergic to cats.  Yeah.

 

Ned glances over Peter’s shoulder, towards Ben.

 

“Dude! Dude!  Holy shit!”

 

Ned gently pushes Peter back so that he can reach May and Ben.

 

May smiles. “Hi, Ned.  Language?”

 

Ned nods. “Dude.  He looks _just_ like you.  Like, holy sh—crap.  It’s, like, so cool and so creepy.”

 

Ned whips his head towards Peter. “Peter.  Does he have superpowers? I need him to have superpowers.”

 

Peter nods, smiling. “Yeah! He can already stick to things. We gave him a shot to suppress them, though.  Can’t have a baby clinging to ten feet high ceilings.”

 

Ned nods, some slight disappointment on his face.

 

May nudges him. “Wanna hold him?”

 

Disappointment turns to terror. “Ah, nah, I’m, uh, okay. Like what if I break him?”

 

Peter snorts. “You won’t, I promise.”

 

Peter takes Ben from May and shows Ned how to hold him.

 

“You just have to keep him secure.  Not too loose and not too tight.”

 

Ned’s face makes Peter wish he had a camera.

 

Ben, thankfully, seems to be more relaxed in Ned’s arms than he ever is in Peter’s.

 

“See? You got this, man!”

 

Ned smiles and bounces a little. “Yeah, it’s not so bad!”

 

They let Ned keep Ben in his arms as they head inside.

 

“So, you guys have your own suite here? For real.”

 

Peter nods excitedly. “Yeah, kinda.  Technically, it’s part of Mr. Stark’s suite.”

 

Ned looks at Peter wide eyed. “ _Dude_.”

 

“Right?”

 

When they reach Peter’s room, Peter takes Ben back from Ned because he _flips out_.

 

“Dude! Dude! This is the coolest room _ever_! Like, it’s freaking nerd heaven man, seri—holy shit is the the Lego Millennium Falcon?”

 

Peter nods, grinning.

 

“ _Bro_!”

 

Peter can’t help but laugh.  He’s so happy Ned hasn’t changed at all.

 

“Is this real life?”

 

“Or is it fantasy?”

 

Ned rolls his eyes. “Please tell me we’re gonna build that.”

 

“Heck yes we are!”

 

May, who has been so quiet that Peter forgot she was watching, clears her throat. “Not before Peter manages to test his way into the eleventh grade you’re not.

 

That puts a slight damper on the mood.

 

Peter and Ned look at each other glumly.

 

“Yeah, good point.  As much as I want to, man, we gotta get you into the right grade. This last year sucked major donkey balls without you and I’m not going to finish out high school like that.”

 

Peter nods enthusiastically. “I really don’t want to have to be the weird kid that got kidnapped, knocked up, and held back.”

 

May snorts as she takes Ben from Peter. “Alright, boys, try and get some work done.  You’re set up in the guest room down the hall, Ned.”

 

“Thank you, Mrs. Parker!”

 

May closes the door as she leaves.

 

Ned claps his hands. “Alright! Show me what you’re working on.”

 

Peter sighs. “Physics.  It’s supposed to be the first semester midterm.”

 

Ned winces. “Yeah, that was rough.  I brought my copy of the test and my study guide so you can compare.  She probably won’t make the basic set up of the test too different.”

 

“Let’s hope.”

 

As they talk and work, Peter relaxes in a way he hadn’t thought he needed to.

 

This normal, he thinks.  So, so, normal and he’s so happy for it.

 

Peter missed Ned.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, yeah. Our boys are back together!
> 
> On a different note, I won't be able to update for a couple of weeks. I'm going to be super busy through the rest of the year and the beginning of the new year so you guys won't see me for a while. I'm sorry!
> 
> Hopefully I'll have some more chapters written up, longer too, by the time I come back. 
> 
> Thank you all so much again! I hope you enjoyed!


	9. Chapter 9

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Heeeeeeey. Yeah. I know. It's been a while. Longer than I said it would be.
> 
> I'm sorry. Read the note at the end.

Peter’s return to school goes well. Mostly people just stare at him for a bit and then move on. After a few weeks, the stares even stop. Except, of course, for the one time Peter has to bring Ben to school with him.

 

It’s mid October and Peter has parent-teacher conferences that he has to go to because of his “unique” status, according to principal Morita. Neither he nor May really want to bring Ben, mainly because Ben seems to like quieter spaces, but they don’t have anyone to watch him.

 

Normally, May watches him during the day while Peter’s at school and Peter watches him at night while she works. It’s a system that doesn’t give them a lot of time together but it works for them.

 

Anyway, Peter’s worried about two things: how Ben is going to handle such a public place with so many people and how those people are going to react to him.

 

Peter hasn’t exactly been telling everyone that he was kidnapped because a creepy, evil organization wanted him to make babies for them to use as soldiers. It’s not exactly a conversation starter.

 

So he’s more worried about the second issue than the first. Can you really blame him? Besides, Ben’s pretty people friendly and he _did_ deal with walking around New York for two weeks pretty well. Peter’s just...never been good with attention let alone _gossip_.

 

Peter shakes himself as he and May pull up to the school.

 

It doesn’t matter.  He’s going to be fine.  They’re all going to be fine.

 

* * *

 

 Peter’s been the focus of school gossip for nearly four months now. Ben’s first birthday has come and gone, celebrated with all of the craziness that a combined Parker-Stark event necessitates, and Peter is still being hounded about him.

 

Even at decathlon practice.

 

“How cute was he?”

 

“Did you get him good presents? He needs them! He's so cute!”

 

“So, how does it feel to be the father of a one year old at sixteen?”

 

“Have you tried, like, calling those teen mom shows? Maybe they’d let you on!”

 

“I’m honestly shocked he could actually produce a kid. Penis’ penis can’t really be functional. He’s a fucking pussy.”

 

“Shut up, Flash!”

 

* * *

 

“You’re getting him a suit right?”

 

Peter blinks at Tony.

 

“What?”

 

Tony rolls his eyes. “‘What?’” He mocks. “Ugh, teenagers. Ben. You’re getting Ben a suit for my wedding, right? I get to call my tailor and have him make the cutest suit for the cutest ring bearer?”

 

“Wait, I thought I was your ring bearer!”

 

“You are! Kind of. You’re more like the ring bearer’s bearer. You have to hold him and bring him up the aisle.”

 

“What! Come on, I wanna do it!”

 

“No! He’ll be so cute!”

 

Peter pouts. "I'm cute too!"

 

Tony snorts.

 

"Hey!"

 

* * *

 

He’ll never tell Tony he was right but Ben is so freakin’ cute in his tiny tux while he sucks on his thumb

 

“So. Cute.”

 

* * *

 

“Hey, can you and Pepper watch Ben tomorrow? I’ve got a field trip and May can only watch him in the morning.”

 

Tony nods while chewing on his dinner. “Yeah, sure. We’re just gonna go for a run, I think, and then we can pick him up. Going anywhere fun?”

 

Peter shakes his head. “Nah, just a museum. It sounds pretty boring.”

 

* * *

 

Peter does not go to a museum and it is not boring.

 

No, Peter goes to space with Tony to fight an alien warlord and it is terrifying and exciting.  It’s so much fun!

 

Except the getting yelled at.

 

This is less fun.

 

“What the hell were you thinking! Kid! What the hell!”

 

“I-I just wanted to help! And I did! Dr. Strange could be hurt or dead without me!”

 

“Peter! We are millions upon millions of miles from Earth, hundreds of thousands of lightyears! This is serious!”

 

“I know! That’s why I had to help!”

 

Dr. Strange watches the two of them from the side, head turning back and forth like he’s watching a ping pong game.

 

Tony looks like he’s about to tear his hair out. Unsurprisingly, it’s an expression Peter is _deeply_ familiar with.

 

Tony sighs. “What about Ben?”

 

Peter freezes. “What you mean?”

 

“Did you consider him, his future, at all when you decided to hitchhike across the galaxy?”

 

Peter gapes. “O-of course! We have to stop this Thanos guy from getting to Earth so he can be safe! It’s why I’m here!”

 

“Kid—“

 

“No, you don’t get to bring Ben up and then try and ‘kid’ your way out of it! This is unfair and we’ve talked about this. You don’t get to yell at me over my parenting choices when you make the same exact choice! It’s in the rules!”

 

“Parenting?” Dr. Strange echos.

 

“Be quiet!” Peter and Tony shout simultaneously.

 

Tony turns his attention back to Peter. “I know, I know. That’s not what I’m—“

 

He cuts himself off and looks away from Peter.

 

“I think this might be a one way trip, kid. That’s why I didn’t want you to come.”

 

Peter’s stomach sinks and his chest turns to fire.

 

“What the hell does that mean?”

 

Tony hesitantly looks back to Peter’s face, looking for all the world like he’d rather be anywhere else. “I mean I don’t think I’m going to survive this. I don’t think _we_ are. It’s why I told you to go home.”

 

Peter’s never thought he could be as furious as he is at the moment. “So, what, you just thought you could fly off and leave m— us? Pepper? Ben? You think it’s okay for you to just go off and die?”

 

Tony seems to get some fire back. “It certainly would have been better than this! You know what it’s like to lose a father and now you want Ben to—“

 

“Shut up!” Peter shrieks.

 

He doesn’t care how high his voice cracks. He’s so, so angry.

 

“What the fuck? I know what it’s like to lose a father? I’ve lost two! You don’t get to throw that in my face, to accuse me of not knowing what that can do to a kid, when all I’m concerned about is not losing a third!”

 

Tony looks like Peter smacked him with an old boot.  Dr. Strange seems to be contemplating following Squidward outside the ship.

 

“God! I can’t believe you!”

 

Peter turns and nearly runs to the door.

 

“Peter!”

 

“Screw you!”

 

The door shuts.

 

* * *

 

Peter and Tony are chilly towards each other for the rest of the trip.

 

Peter doesn’t care.

 

Tony’s a dick.

 

* * *

 

Peter cares and Tony’s not a dick. He wants to tell Tony that so badly.

 

“Mr-Mr. Stark? I-I don’t feel so good.”

 

‘I don’t feel so good’ is an understatement. Peter feels like he’s on fire.

 

Tony holds him. Tony tries to make him better.

 

Tony can’t.

 

“I-I’m sorry. T-tony. I- Ben. Ben.”

 

“I know, I know, I promise. I’ll fix it. I’ll fix you.”

 

Peter _believes_.

 

Peter turns to ash.

 

* * *

 

Tony feels like he’s dying.

 

His s- _Peter_ is ash in his hands and Tony is dying.

 

Only Tony and the blue one, Nebula, are left.

 

Tony goes home.

 

* * *

 

Tony tries to call Pepper but he can’t get through. Nothing works in his suit anymore.

 

She’ll have to wait.

 

Tony has to get to Ben.  He has to make sure that he’s okay.

 

He has to be okay.

 

He somehow manages to make his way through New York City unrecognized in the chaos following Thanos’ victory. He trudges up the stairs in P- May’s building, dreading each step that might bring his closer to an even more shattered and ash filled world.

 

He gets to her door and knocks.

 

May answers, Ben in her arms. “Oh, thank god!” She cries. “Tony!”

 

She wraps him in a one armed hug and all but drags him inside.

 

Tony’s so relieved his legs feel like rubber.

 

“I was so worried about you, both of you! Where’s Peter? Is he with you or—“

 

May cuts herself off. She looks at Tony’s face with a look so scrutinizing that Tony’s sure she could pry every secret out of Fury himself.

 

Her entire body seems to close in on itself. “He’s gone. Isn’t he?”

 

Tony answers with his eyes to the floor. “I swear, I _swear_ I will get him back.  I’ll get them all back. I’ll fix this.”

 

Tony swallows. “I-I just needed to see him. To know if he—“

 

May nods. “Well, you’ve seen. Now get out. Get out and don’t come back without our boy.”

 

Tony lifts his head, nods, and rubs one hand against Ben’s cheek.

 

He has no more time to linger. He can’t stay here.

 

He has work to do.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yeah, I know. I'm evil. The Worst.
> 
> I have to apologize for the long wait and this chapter. I didn't mean for this to happen but...
> 
> I've been extremely uninspired for this story in the last few months. I lost all sense of plot, suddenly found myself directionless, and, in all truthfulness, lost interest.
> 
> That combined with real world issues that have left me extremely discouraged have made it very difficult for me to continue this story. So, for now, I'm putting this one on hold.
> 
> I have other stories in this fandom and in others that I want to write and I can't do that when I'm draining myself writing, scraping, and rewriting this fic over and over again. So, I decided to go with this. 
> 
> To be frank, this is how I was going to have this fic end. I planned on ending this just like this, with each little scene in this chapter being a small part of the chapters between where I left off and the end, prior to Endgame releasing and then publishing another story in the series after Far From Home.
> 
> I still might do that. I still want to do that. But for the sake of my other creative adventures and my sanity...I have to put this story on the back burner. I just felt that you guys had waited long enough and deserved some communication on my end.
> 
> So, I just want to say thank you to each and everyone of you. I love you all dearly and I hope to see you guys on here, both in this story and my others, soon.
> 
> You're all amazing.
> 
> Love,
> 
> ET

**Author's Note:**

> I hope you enjoyed! Please let me know what you think and if you have any ideas for cute scenes involving Ben and his baby antics.
> 
> Thanks!


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